Lupin, Black, and Potter: Book 3
by Pinkfalcon1002002
Summary: It's now The Fantastic Five's third year. Evangeline now knows what happened to her dad. He has escaped from Azkaban, and guess what? He's a murderer. Evangeline has a hard time at school because of this fact. And Teddy's dad is the new DADA teacher! But why does he keep missing classes? Third in the Lupin, Black, and Potter series.
1. Chapter 1

**Lupin, Black, and Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban**.

**Chapter one**

**Owl Post**

**Harry Potter and Evangeline Black were a highly unusual boy and girl in many ways. For one thing, they hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, while she only wanted to find her broomstick and play a round of quidditch. Harry and Evangeline, who was forced into doing homework by Harry, had to do their homework in the dead of night. And they also happened to be a witch and a wizard.**

**It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot) propped open against the pillow. Evangeline was pretending to do the same, but in reality, she was thinking of pranks she was going to do when she got to Hogwarts. Just thinking of the possibilities made a smile come to her face. She wrote her idea down on her journal. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, "Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless discuss."**

**The quill paused at the top of a likely-looking paragraph. Harry Pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, moved his flashlight closer to the book, and read:**

**Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.**

**Harry put his quill between his teeth and reached underneath his pillow for his inkbottle and a roll of parchment. Slowly and very carefully he unscrewed the inkbottle, dipped his quill into it, and began to write, pausing every now and then to listen, because if any of the Dursleys heard the scratching of his quill on their way to the bathroom, he'd probably find himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer.**

**The Dursley family of number four, Privet Drive, was the reason that Harry and Evangeline never enjoyed summer holidays. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son, Dudley, were Harry's only living relatives while, Evangeline was found with Harry. They were Muggles, and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic. Harry's dead parents, who had been a witch and wizard themselves, were never mentioned under the Dursleys' roof for years, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hoped that if they kept Harry and Evangeline as downtrodden as possible, they would be able to squash the magic out of them. To their fury, they had been unsuccessful. These days they lived in terror of anyone finding out that Harry and Evangeline had spent most of the last two years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The most they could do, however, was to lock away their spellbooks, wands, cauldrons, and broomsticks at the start of the summer break, and forbid them to talk to the neighbors.**

**This separation from his spellbooks had been a real problem for Harry, because his teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work. One of the essays, a particularly nasty one about shrinking potions, which Evangeline offered to help with but Harry politely declined, was for Harry's least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, Or Grease Monkey, as Evangeline would call him, who would be delighted to have an excuse to give Harry detention for a month. Harry had therefore seized his chance in the first week of the holidays. While Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley had gone out into the front garden to admire Uncle Vernon's new company car (in very loud voices, so that the rest of the street would notice it too), Harry had Evangeline creep downstairs so she could pick the lock on the cupboard under the stairs. They grabbed some of their books, and hidden them in the bedroom. As long as he didn't leave spots of ink on the sheets, the Dursleys need never know that he was studying magic by night.**

**Evangeline was having a ball at the moment. She already had a great prank idea that she had to tell the twins, Fred and George, about. The three were known as the pranksters of the school. Occasionally Teddy, who was one of Harry and Evangeline's best friends, would help out if they needed some brains. Their main targets were Professor Snape, and the Slytherins. And the funny thing was, it was like they would never get caught. All the teachers knew it was them but they never could prove it. Evangeline couldn't be sure, but she thought that Dumbledore liked their pranks. **

**She was thinking about her past two years at Hogwarts when she remembered something funny that happened at the beginning of summer vacation.**

**Ron Weasley, who was one of Harry and Evangeline's best friends at Hogwarts, came from a whole family of wizards. This meant that he knew a lot of things they didn't, but he had never used a telephone before. Most unluckily, it had been Uncle Vernon who had answered the call. **

"**Vernon Dursley speaking." **

**Harry, who happened to be in the room at the time, froze as he heard Ron's voice answer. Evangeline smirked, she always liked to get under his skin, even if it got her into trouble. **

"**HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I—WANT—TO—TALK—TO—HARRY—POTTER- AND-EVANGELINE- BLACK!" Ron was yelling so loudly that Uncle Vernon jumped and held the receiver a foot away from his ear, staring at it with an expression of mingled fury and alarm.**

"**WHO IS THIS?" he roared in the direction of the mouthpiece. "WHO ARE YOU?"**

"**RON—WEASLEY!" Ron bellowed back, as though he and Uncle Vernon were speaking from opposite ends of a football field. "I'M—A—FRIEND—OF—HARRY'S— AND— EVANGELINE'S—FROM—SCHOOL —"**

**Uncle Vernon's small eyes swiveled around to the two, Harry was rooted to the spot and Evangeline had her signature smirk.**

"**THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER AND EVANGELINE BLACK HERE!" he roared, now holding the receiver at arm's length, as though frightened it might explode. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOURE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!"**

**And he threw the receiver back onto the telephone as if dropping a poisonous spider.**

**The fight that had followed had been one of the worst ever.**

"**HOW DARE YOU GIVE THIS NUMBER TO PEOPLE LIKE—PEOPLE LIKE YOU!" Uncle Vernon had roared, spraying Harry with spit.**

"**What? An actual normal person?" Evangeline sassed raising her eyebrow.**

**Ron obviously realized that he'd gotten them into trouble, because he hadn't called again. **

**Their other best friends from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger and Teddy Lupin, hadn't been in touch either. Hermione and Teddy were the cleverest witches in their year. Harry suspected that Ron had warned then not to call, which was a pity, because Hermione's parents were Muggles, and Teddy had a Muggleborn Grandfather, knew perfectly well how to use a telephone, and would probably have had enough sense not to say that they went to Hogwarts.**

**So Harry and Evangeline had had no word from any of their wizarding friends for five long weeks, and this summer was turning out to be almost as bad as the last one. There was just one very small improvement—after swearing that they wouldn't use her to send letters to any of his friends, Harry and Evangeline had been allowed to let their owls, Hedwig and Shadow, out at night. Uncle Vernon had given in because of the racket they made if they were locked in the cage all the time.**

**Evangeline used Shadow to talk to Teddy and Dean. Teddy was helping her with a present for Harry for his thirteenth birthday. Since the Dursley's had her on house arrest, she asked Teddy to make it for her. **

**Dean, who was one of Evangeline's closest friends, wrote back to her. Dean started calling her fuse, in his letters, since she had a bad temper sometimes. Evangeline kept calling him momma's boy or Gigantor, since he was already at least 6 ft tall.**

**Speaking of that, Shadow just came to the window seal with a letter and a package for her.**

_Dear Fuse,_

_How have you been doing?_

_Not causing too much trouble with the muggles?_

_Since your birthday was last month, which I'm still mad about since you didn't tell me, I sent you a late present._

_Hope to see you soon._

_And I'm looking forward to beat you in the race at Hogwarts._

_From, Dean, your Devilishly Handsome friend._

_P.S. Seamus wants you to stop doing the Irish jokes, he founds them offensive. What a wimp. _

**Evangeline rolled her eyes at her friend and opened her package. Inside was a picture in a frame. **

**It was herself on Dean's back. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her legs were around his waist. She had a huge smile on her face, while Dean's face held a small smirk. It was when Evangeline had won the first game of the Quidditch season. Teddy had taken the picture.**

**The frame had two names carved in it: Fuse and Gigantor. **

**She smiled and slowly got up. She moved a loose floorboard. Inside it held all of the things that had to do with Hogwarts and magic. She sat back down and closed her eyes.**

**Harry finished writing about Wendelin the Weird and paused to listen again. The silence in the dark house was broken only by the distant, grunting snores of his enormous cousin, Dudley. He also heard the light snore coming from Evangeline. It must be very late, Harry thought. His eyes were itching with tiredness. Perhaps he'd finish this essay tomorrow night...**

**He replaced the top of the inkbottle; pulled an old pillowcase from under his bed; put the flashlight, A History of Magic, his essay, quill, and ink inside it; got out of bed; and hid the lot under a loose floorboard under his bed. Then he stood up, stretched, and checked the time on the luminous alarm clock on his bedside table.**

**It was one o'clock in the morning. Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt. He had been thirteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour. He suddenly got an idea and smirked. He threw his pillow at his best friend. It was successful.**

"**Harry…If I didn't love you… I'd murder you." She groaned.**

**Harry just smirked even more.**

"**Why did you wake me up?" She said groggily.**

"**I'm thirteen." He whispered back.**

"**You prat! I'm going back to sleep. I'll wish you happy birthday when I'm fully rested!" She whispered yelled before laying back down.**

"**You didn't get any homework done tonight." Harry stated.**

"**No, and you're not a Purple platypus with pink hair." She stated calmly.**

"**Why that?"**

"**Oh, I thought we were just stating the obvious." She said before rolling over so that her back was facing him. **

**Another unusual thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays. He had never received a birthday card in his life. The only person that wished him a happy birthday was Evangeline. She always tried to do something for Harry, but since she was restricted, by obvious reasons, she could never get him something special. The Dursleys had completely ignored his last two birthdays, and he had no reason to suppose they would remember this one.**

**Harry walked across the dark room, past Hedwig's large, empty cage, to the open window. He leaned on the sill, the cool night air pleasant on his face after a long time under the blankets. Hedwig had been absent for two nights now. Harry wasn't worried about her: she'd been gone this long before. But he hoped she'd be back soon—she was the only living creature in this house, besides Evangeline and Shadow, but Harry really didn't count them, who didn't flinch at the sight of him.**

**Evangeline, who was still a bottomless pit, turned thirteen last month. Teddy gave her a pick locking kit, that surprisingly, she made herself (Evangeline just knew that she could pick locks). Hermione gave her some potion's supplies. Ron and Ginny had sent her a bunch of chocolate frogs, which Evangeline was saving to share with Teddy in the train. She always got a kick out of watching her Metamorphmagus friend eat chocolate. Her hair kept changing colors of the rainbow as she got hyper. Fred and George gave her a supply of pranking items. And lastly, Seamus gave her a green shirt that said 'Kiss me I'm Irish'. As funny as it was, she would never wear that shirt. Harry promised her when they would go to Diagon Alley, he would buy her something.**

**Evangeline had grew a couple of inches over the summer and she was now about five feet and five inches tall. Petunia forced her to cut her hair a few inches shorter, because "It was too long and messy." It went a little below her shoulders. Her hair was black and in ringlets. Her eyes were a light gray, which she was proud of because, she was the only person she ever met who had that color eyes. The one thing you would notice was the long scar that started at the tip of her shoulder to her elbow. Most people felt sorry. Evangeline was proud of it because she thought of it as a battle scar, even though it wasn't. She had got it in first year, when she went against Quirrel.**

**Harry, though still rather small and skinny for his age, had grown a few inches over the last year. His jet-black hair, however, was just as it always had been—stubbornly untidy, whatever he did to it. The eyes behind his glasses were bright green, and on his forehead, clearly visible through his hair, was a thin scar, shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

**Of all the unusual things about Harry, this scar was the most extraordinary of all. It was not, as the Dursleys had pretended for ten years, a souvenir of the car crash that had killed Harry's parents and Evangeline's mom, because Natalie Black and Lily and James Potter had not died in a car crash. They had been murdered, murdered by the most feared Dark wizard for a hundred years, Lord Voldemort. Harry had escaped from the same attack with nothing more than a scar on his forehead, where Voldemort's curse, instead of killing him, had rebounded upon its originator. Barely alive, Voldemort had fled...**

**But Harry had come face-to-face with him at Hogwarts, with the help of Evangeline. Remembering their last meeting as he stood at the dark window, Harry had to admit he was lucky even to have reached his thirteenth birthday.**

**He scanned the starry sky for a sign of Hedwig, perhaps soaring back to him with a dead mouse dangling from her beak, expecting praise. Gazing absently over the rooftops, it was a few seconds before Harry realized what he was seeing.**

**Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry's direction. He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut. But then the bizarre creature soared over one of the street lamps of Privet Drive, and Harry, realizing what it was, leapt aside.**

**Through the window soared four owls, three of them holding up the fourth, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.**

**Harry recognized the unconscious owl at once—his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family.**

**Evangeline woke up with a start.**

"**What's going on?" She murmured. "Ooh, Ron, Hermione, and Teddy must have sent you something!"**

**She suddenly jumped up as if she had gained her energy back. **

"**Go on!" She urged Harry. "Open them."**

**Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.**

**Harry turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol. The third he didn't recognize, but its package had Teddy's beautiful calligraphy on it. He realized it must be Teddy's family owl. It was a tan barn owl that, upon Harry's reaching for the package, pecked his finger affectionately for a treat. Upon realizing he didn't have one, it hooted softly and flew out the window once he got the package.**

**Harry didn't recognize the fourth owl, a handsome tawny one, but he knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.**

**Harry sat down on his bed and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold, and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out—a letter and a newspaper clipping.**

**The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry and Evangeline picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:**

**MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE**

**Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.**

**A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."**

**The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.**

**Harry and Evangeline scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny.**

**They couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor. He picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Happy birthday!**_

_**Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.**_

_**It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.**_

_**I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.**_

**Harry and Evangeline remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when the car the three of them had been flying to Hogwarts had crashed into a tree on the school grounds.**

_**We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?**_

_**Don't let the Muggles get you down!**_

_**Try and come to London,**_

_**Ron**_

_**P. S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.**_

**Evangeline groaned.**

**Harry glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.**

**Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.**

_**Harry—this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.**_

_**Bye —**_

_**Ron**_

**Evangeline grinned, "Good to know they're still pranking."**

**Harry raised his brow. "Of course they're still pranking! They're Fred and George, for petesake!**

**Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.**

**Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.**_

_**I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you—what if they'd opened it at customs?—but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads.**_

**Evangeline snorted. "Yeah right. Like Ron's learning anything."**

_**I'm really jealous—the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.**_

_**There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long—it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.**_

_**Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!**_

_**Love from Hermione**_

_**P. S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.**_

**Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells—but it wasn't. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.**

**Evangeline grinned.**

"**Wow, Hermione!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.**

**There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tall-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.**

**Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world—highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. Harry and Evangeline happened to be very good Quidditch players; they had been the youngest people in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams. One of their most prized possessions was their Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.**

**Harry put the leather case aside and picked up Teddy's parcel. In it, there was a beautiful homemade necklace for Evangeline, and for Harry, a Gobstones set.**

**He picked up Teddy's letter and read:**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Happy Birthday! **_

_**Hope the Muggles aren't being too bad. Ron told me about the phone call. I told him that he should have asked me or Hermione what to do first since he didn't know how to use the telephone. He reckons I was right.**_

_**Anyway, my parents and I have just been hanging out at home. I admit that I'm jealous of Ron and Hermione on their vacations. Ron's in Egypt! I think it's wonderful that they won the money. They really deserve it. I heard Percy's Head Boy. I hope he's not too smug.**_

_**Anyway, Ron and Hermione say they're going to London to get their stuff. I can't come though, so I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express!**_

_**Your currently pink-haired friend,**_

_**Teddy**_

_**P.S. I have a surprise for everyone! But I'm not going to tell you yet!**_

"**I wonder what the surprise is?" Evangeline whispered.**

**Harry shrugged and picked up his last parcel. He recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly—as though it had jaws.**

**Evangeline's eyes widened. **

"**What was that?" She whispered.**

**Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. **

**Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.**

**Harry poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again. Harry reached for the lamp on his bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over his head, ready to strike. Then he seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled.**

**And out fell—two books. Harry just had time to register their handsome green covers, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, before they flipped onto their edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crabs.**

"**Uh-oh," Harry muttered.**

**The books toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room. Harry followed them stealthily. One book was hiding in the dark space under his desk. The other was still scuttling along the floor in different directions. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Harry got down on his hands and knees and reached toward the one underneath the desk..**

"**Ouch!"**

**The book snapped shut on his hand and then flapped past him, still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.**

**Hedwig, Shadow, and Errol watched interestedly as Harry clamped the struggling book tightly in his arms, hurried to his chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which he buckled tightly around it. The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap, so Harry threw it down on the bed.**

"**I'll get the other one," Evangeline groaned. So after much crawling, chasing, and struggling, the second book was also clamped shut under a belt.**

**They gave a sigh of relief that the Dursley's didn't wake up and reached for Hagrid's card.**

_**Dear Harry and Evangeline,**_

_**Happy Birthday!**_

_**Evangeline, in your case, Happy Late Birthday. Tried to buy you one of these for your birthday, but they weren't out yet. Figured I'd just get you one and send it with Harry's.**_

_**Think you might find them useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you. Hope the Muggles are treating you right.**_

_**All the best,**_

_**Hagrid**_

**It struck Harry and Evangeline as ominous that Hagrid thought biting books would come in useful, but he put Hagrid's card up next to Teddy's, Ron's, and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever. **

**Now there was only their letters from Hogwarts left.**

**Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:**

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_**Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.**_

_**Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.**_

_**A list of books for next year is enclosed. Yours sincerely,**_

_**Professor M. McGonagall**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

**Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it, no longer grinning. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there. But how on earth was he going to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form?**

**Evangeline, meanwhile, was reading her letter.**

"**You realize there's no way the cow and horse will sign our forms, right?" She stated once she finished reading her letter.**

**He looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock in the morning.**

"**Whatever," Evangeline yawned. "I must get my beauty sleep,"**

"**Yeah," Harry grinned. "You need all the help you can get."**

**She glared at him and then got into bed and feel asleep.**

**Deciding that he'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when he woke up, Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made for himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts. Then he took off his glasses and lay down, eyes open, facing his three birthday cards.**

**Extremely unusual though he was, at that moment Harry Potter felt just like everyone else—glad, for the first time in his life, that it was his birthday.**

An: Sorry for the long wait! I had my wisdom teeth pulled and my computer broke. Whoops!

Anyway I'm not going to finish Reacting to cos but I'm going to try to react for Poa. Sorry again.

**PEACE OUT BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (NOT CREEPY AT ALL)!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

**AUNT MARGE'S BIG MISTAKE **

**Harry and Evangeline went down to breakfast the next morning to find the three Dursleys already sitting around the kitchen table.**

**They were watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley, who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room.**

"**Quit your whining. You have everything we could ever want." Evangeline said.**

**Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continually. **

**Harry and Evangeline sat down between Dudley and Uncle Vernon, a large, beefy man with very little neck and a lot of moustache. Far from wishing Harry a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys made any sign that they had noticed Harry and Evangeline enter the room, but they were far too used to this to care. **

**He helped himself to a piece of toast and then looked up at the reporter on the television, who was halfway through a report on an escaped convict: **

**"... The public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. **

**A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately." **

**Evangeline spit her toast out in shock. To her delight, the pieces she spit out landed on Dudley.**

"**Who's that?" She asked. Indeed, the man had her black hair (Although her's was much cleaner and tidier) and her unique gray eyes on which she had never saw on anyone else before.**

**Vernon just glared at her.**

**"Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!" **

**He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon. Compared to the man on the television, however, whose gaunt face was surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, Harry felt very well groomed indeed.**

"**Who is that?" Evangeline demanded.**

"**I told you your father was a good-for-nothing criminal!" Vernon snapped. He said no more on the subject. That left a very shocked Evangeline, who was frozen stiff.**

**Evangeline whispered to Harry when she got over her shock, "I thought they were lying when they said he was in prison!"**

**Harry was very shocked too. "And not only was he in prison, but he escaped! I guess he's a Muggle, then. I mean, why else would he be on the Muggle news?"**

"**So I'm Halfblood, then?"**

**The reporter had reappeared. "The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will announce today -" **

**"Hang on!" barked Uncle Vernon, staring furiously at the reporter. "You didn't tell us where that maniac's escaped from! What use is that? Lunatic could be coming up the street right now!" **

**Aunt Petunia, who was bony and horse-faced, whipped around and peered intently out of the kitchen window. Harry knew Aunt Petunia would simply love to be the one to call the hot line number. She was the nosiest woman in the world and spent most of her life spying on the boring, law-abiding neighbours. **

**"When will they learn," said Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his large purple fist, "that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?" **

**Evangeline's face went white and she widened her eyes.**

**"Very true," said Aunt Petunia, who was still squinting into next door's runner beans. **

**Uncle Vernon drained his teacup, glanced at his watch, and added, "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten." **

**Harry, whose thoughts had been upstairs with the Broomstick Servicing Kit, was brought back to earth with an unpleasant bump.**

**"Aunt Marge?" he blurted out. "Sh - she's not coming here, is she?" **

**Evangeline groaned.**

**Aunt Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister. **

**Even though she was not a blood relative of Harry's (whose mother had been Aunt Petunia's sister), he and Evangeline had been forced to call her "Aunt" all their life. **

**Aunt Marge lived in the country, in a house with a large garden, where she bred bulldogs. She didn't often stay at Privet Drive, because she couldn't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stood out horribly vividly in Evangeline and Harry's minds. **

**At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Marge had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues. This resulted in Evangeline trying to grab the walking stick and whack **_**her **_**around the shins, but she was not successful.**

**A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry and Evangeline. Upon seeing this, Evangeline later, at dinner, cut some up into pieces and threw them in Aunt Marge's soup when Petunia had turned her back on them. To her surprise, Aunt Marge thought the soup was delicious and gave her compliments to Petunia.**

**On her last visit, the year before Harry and Evangeline started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the tail of her favourite dog. Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight. All throughout this, Evangeline was watching and laughing as Harry cowered up in the tree.**

**The memory of this incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes.**

**"Marge'll be here for a week," Uncle Vernon snarled, "and while we're on the subject" - he pointed a fat finger threateningly at Harry and Evangeline - "we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her." **

**Dudley smirked and withdrew his gaze from the television. **

**Watching Harry and Evangeline being bullied by Uncle Vernon was Dudley's favorite form of entertainment.**

**"Firstly," growled Uncle Vernon, "you'll keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Marge." **

**"All right," said Harry bitterly, "if she does when she's talking to me." **

**Evangeline rolled her eyes, "That's not going to happen."**

**"Secondly," said Uncle Vernon, acting as though he had not heard Harry's reply, "as Marge doesn't know anything about your abnormalities, I don't want any - any funny stuff while she's here. You behave yourself, got me?" **

**"I will if she does," said Harry through gritted teeth. **

"**She won't," Evangeline rolled her eyes once more.**

**"And thirdly," said Uncle Vernon, his mean little eyes now slits in his great purple face, "we've told Marge you attend St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys." **

**"What?" Harry yelled.**

**"And you'll be sticking to that story, boy, or there'll be trouble," spat Uncle Vernon. **

"**What about me?" Evangeline asked.**

"**St. Elizabeth's Center for Improper Young Ladies."**

**Evangeline shrugged. "Can't argue with that,"**

**She was still pondering about her father too much to care. When it came to Aunt Marge, she pretty much ignored Evangeline. She tried to pick on Evangeline, but Evangeline didn't really care what she said because she knew what she said usually wasn't true. This infuriated Aunt Marge, so she altogether ignored her after her last few visits.**

**So Harry sat there, white-faced and furious, staring at Uncle Vernon, hardly able to believe it. Aunt Marge coming for a weeklong visit - it was the worst birthday present the Dursleys had ever given him, including that pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. **

**"Well, Petunia," said Uncle Vernon, getting heavily to his feet, "I'll be off to the station, then. Want to come along for the ride, Dudders?" **

**"No," said Dudley, whose attention had returned to the television now that Uncle Vernon had finished threatening Harry and Evangeline. **

**"Duddy's got to make himself smart for his auntie," said Aunt Petunia, smoothing Dudley's thick blond hair. "Mummy's bought him a lovely new bow tie." **

**Evangeline snorted. **

"**Dudley, smart?" She whispered to Harry.**

**Uncle Vernon clapped Dudley on his porky shoulder.**

**"See you in a bit, then," he said, and he left the kitchen. **

**Harry, who had been sitting in a kind of horrified trance, had a sudden idea. **

**Abandoning his toast, he got quickly to his feet and followed Uncle Vernon to the front door. Uncle Vernon was pulling on his car coat. **

**Evangeline raised her brow in confusion, but got up and followed him.**

**"I'm not taking you," he snarled as he turned to see Harry and Evangeline watching him.**

**"Like we wanted to come," said Harry coldly. "I want to ask you something."**

**Uncle Vernon eyed him suspiciously. **

**"Third years at Hog - at our school are allowed to visit the village sometimes," said Harry.**

**"So?" snapped Uncle Vernon, taking his car keys from a hook next to the door. **

**"We need you to sign our permission forms," said Harry in a rush. **

**"And why should I do that?" sneered Uncle Vernon. **

**"Well," said Harry, choosing his words carefully, "it'll be hard work, pretending to Aunt Marge I go to that St. Whatsits -" **

**"St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, and Harry was pleased to hear a definite note of panic in Uncle Vernon's voice. **

**Evangeline understood his plan and smirked slyly. She started to play along.**

"**And that I go to that Improper Ladies School? Very hard to do."**

**"Exactly," said Harry, looking calmly up into Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. "It's a lot to remember. We'll have to make it sound convincing, won't we? What if we accidentally let something slip?" **

**Evangeline grinned.**

**"You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?" roared Uncle Vernon, advancing on Harry with his fist raised. Evangeline moved in front of Harry.**

**Evangeline snarled at him. "You better not."**

**But Harry moved in front of her and stood his ground. "Knocking the stuffing out of us won't make Aunt Marge forget what we could tell her," he said grimly. Uncle Vernon stopped, his fist still raised, his face an ugly puce. "But if you sign our permission forms," Harry went on quickly, "I swear we'll remember where we're supposed to go to school, and we'll act like Mug - like we're normal and everything." **

**Evangeline nodded in agreement.**

**Harry could tell that Uncle Vernon was thinking it over, even if his teeth were bared and a vein was throbbing in his temple. **

**"Right," he snapped finally. "I shall monitor your behaviour carefully during Marge's visit. If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and kept to the story, I'll sign your ruddy forms."**

**He wheeled around, pulled open the front door, and slammed it so hard that one of the little panes of glass at the top fell out. **

**Harry didn't return to the kitchen. He went back upstairs to his bedroom. If he was going to act like a real Muggle, he'd better start now. Evangeline followed him upstairs after stealing the rest of the bacon Aunt Petunia had prepared.**

**Slowly and sadly he gathered up all their presents and their birthday cards and hid them under the loose floorboard with their homework. Then he went to Hedwig's cage. Errol seemed to have recovered; he and Hedwig were both asleep, heads under their wings. Shadow was in her cage, drinking water.**

**Harry sighed, then poked Hedwig and Errol awake. Evangeline got up and opened Shadow's cage.**

**"Hedwig," he said gloomily, "you're going to have to clear off for a week. Go with Errol. Ron'll look after you. I'll write him a note, explaining. And don't look at me like that" - Hedwig's large amber eyes were reproachful - **

**"it's not my fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit Hogsmeade with Ron, Teddy, and Hermione." **

"**Shadow I want you to go to Teddy's for a while. I have a note for her. Love you, girl." Evangeline said while petting her dark feathers. She tied the note to Shadow and she flew off. Evangeline hid Shadow's cage underneath her bed and got her potion's book out and started to read it.**

**Harry knew Evangeline was upset, because she hardly ever reads a book.**

"**Girl! Come down, now!" Petunia yelled.**

**Evangeline's eyes widened at the piece of bacon that she was eating.**

"**I DIDN'T DO IT!" She yelled.**

"**JUST GET DOWN HERE!" She repeated. **

**Evangeline put her potions book down and walked down the stairs.**

**Ten minutes later, Errol and Hedwig (who had a note to Ron bound to her leg) soared out of the window and out of sight. Harry, now feeling thoroughly miserable, put the empty cage away inside the wardrobe. But Harry didn't have long to brood. In next to no time, Aunt Petunia was shrieking up the stairs for Harry to come down and get ready to welcome their guest. Evangeline was already downstairs.**

**"Do something about your hair!" Aunt Petunia snapped as he reached the hall. **

**Harry couldn't see the point of trying to make his hair lie flat. Aunt Marge loved criticizing him, so the untidier he looked, the happier she would be. When Harry saw Evangeline he started to smirk. Evangeline was in a dress. She was in an ugly pink puffy dress with pink pumps. She was wearing makeup that looked ridiculous. He figured it was Petunia's doing. Evangeline had a glare on her face.**

**She grumbled at him, "Hogsmeade better be bloody amazing." **

"**Girl! You better act like a proper young lady otherwise, you'll be sleeping with the dogs outside." Petunia said angrily.**

**Evangeline rolled her eyes.**

**All too soon, there was a crunch of gravel outside as Uncle Vernon's car pulled back into the driveway, then the clunk of the car doors and footsteps on the garden path.**

**"Get the door!" Aunt Petunia hissed at Harry. **

**A feeling of great gloom in his stomach, Harry pulled the door open. On the threshold stood Aunt Marge. She was very like Uncle Vernon: large, beefy, and purple- faced, she even had a moustache, though not as bushy as his.**

**In one hand she held an enormous suitcase, and tucked under the other was an old and evil-tempered bulldog.**

**"Where's my Dudders?" roared Aunt Marge. "Where's my neffy-poo?" **

**Dudley came waddling down the hall, his blond hair plastered flat to his fat head, a bow tie just visible under his many chins. Aunt Marge thrust the suitcase into Harry's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, seized Dudley in a tight one-armed hug, and planted a large kiss on his cheek. **

**Evangeline gagged a little in her mouth.**

**Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley only put up with Aunt Marge's hugs because he was well paid for it, and sure enough, when they broke apart, Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note clutched in his fat fist. **

**"Petunia!" shouted Aunt Marge, striding past Harry and Evangeline as though they were a hat stand. **

**Aunt Marge and Aunt Petunia kissed, or rather, Aunt Marge bumped her large jaw against Aunt Petunia's bony cheekbone. **

**Uncle Vernon now came in, smiling jovially as he shut the door. **

**"Tea, Marge?" he said. "And what will Ripper take?" **

**"Ripper can have some tea out of my saucer," said Aunt Marge as they all proceeded into the kitchen, leaving Harry alone in the hall with the suitcase and Evangeline in her stupid dress. **

**But Harry wasn't complaining; any excuse not to be with Aunt Marge was fine by him, so he began to heave the case upstairs into the spare bedroom, taking as long as he could. Evangeline groaned and walked into the kitchen with all the pride she could manage while she was wearing the dress.**

**By the time Harry got back to the kitchen, Evangeline was serving Aunt Marge with tea and fruitcake, and Ripper was lapping noisily in the corner. Harry saw Aunt Petunia wince slightly as specks of tea and drool flecked her clean floor. Aunt Petunia hated animals. **

**"Who's looking after the other dogs, Marge?" Uncle Vernon asked. **

**"Oh, I've got Colonel Fubster managing them," boomed Aunt Marge. "He's retired now, good for him to have something to do. But I couldn't leave poor old Ripper. He pines if he's away from me." **

**Ripper began to growl again as Harry sat down. Evangeline rolled her eyes and poured Aunt Petunia some tea. She had to act like a proper young lady, which meant no snarky remarks. This directed Aunt Marge's attention to Harry for the first time.**

**"So!" she barked. "Still here, are you?" **

**"Yes," said Harry. **

**"Don't you say yes' in that ungrateful tone," Aunt Marge growled. "It's damn good of Vernon and Petunia to keep you. Wouldn't have done it myself. You'd have gone straight to an orphanage if you'd been dumped on my doorstep." **

**Harry was bursting to say that he'd rather live in an orphanage than with the Dursleys, but the thought of the Hogsmeade form stopped him. He forced his face into a painful smile. **

**"Don't you smirk at me!" boomed Aunt Marge. **

**"I can see you haven't improved since I last saw you. I hoped school would knock some manners into you."**

**She took a large gulp of tea, wiped her moustache, and said, "Where is it that you send him, again, Vernon?" **

**"St. Brutus's," said Uncle Vernon promptly. "It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases."**

**"I see," said Aunt Marge. "Do they use the cane at St. Brutus's, boy?" she barked across the table. **

**"Er -" **

**Uncle Vernon nodded curtly behind Aunt Marge's back. **

**"Yes," said Harry. Then, feeling he might as well do the thing properly, he added, "all the time." **

**"Excellent," said Aunt Marge. "I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Have you been beaten often?" **

**"Oh, yeah," said Harry, "loads of times." **

**Aunt Marge narrowed her eyes.**

**"I still don't like your tone, boy," she said. "If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough. Petunia, I'd write if I were you. Make it clear that you approve the use of extreme force in this boy's case." **

"**What about the girl? I haven't heard a peep out of her." Aunt Marge asked.**

"**Her school takes hopeless cases, and turns them into proper young ladies." Petunia said.**

"**Girl! Bring me more tea!" Aunt Marge yelled.**

**Evangeline bit her lip so she didn't say anything. **

_**She must really want to go to Hogsmeade, **_**Harry thought.**

**Evangeline poured her tea.**

"**Yes **_**ma'am**_**," Evangeline said, in a loathing tone. Her teeth were gritted together as though she was trying not to insult Aunt Marge. **

"**She looks a hell of a lot better than last time. Running around like she owned the place. She's still too scrawny in my opinion. Not proper size like Dudders."**

**Evangeline wanted to scoff. She took the tea pitcher and went into the kitchen. **

**Uncle Vernon changed the subject abruptly. **

**"Heard the news this morning, Marge? What about that escaped prisoner, eh?" **

**At that Harry heard a crash, as Evangeline broke one of the tea cups.**

"**Umm… Sorry. Ma'am." She said before cleaning up the broken glass.**

**As Aunt Marge started to make herself at home, Harry caught himself thinking almost longingly of life at number four without her. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia usually encouraged Harry and Evangeline to stay out of their way, which Harry was only too happy to do. **

**Aunt Marge, on the other hand, wanted Harry under her eye at all times, so that she could boom out suggestions for his improvement. **

**She delighted in comparing Harry with Dudley, and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley expensive presents while glaring at Harry and Evangeline, as though daring him to ask why he hadn't got a present too. She also kept throwing out dark hints about what made Harry and Evangeline such an unsatisfactory person. **

**"You mustn't blame yourself for the way the boy's turned out, Vernon," she said over lunch on the third day. "If there's something rotten on the inside, there's nothing anyone can do about it." **

**At that, Evangeline took in a deep breath so as to calm herself.**

**Harry tried to concentrate on his food, but his hands shook and his face was starting to burn with anger. **

**Remember the form, he told himself. Think about Hogsmeade. Don't say anything. Don't rise.**

**Aunt Marge reached for her glass of wine. "It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup -" **

**Evangeline's mouth dropped open in shock.**

**At that moment, the wineglass Aunt Marge was holding exploded in her hand. Shards of glass flew in every direction and Aunt Marge sputtered and blinked, her great ruddy face dripping.**

**"Marge!" squealed Aunt Petunia. "Marge, are you all right?" **

**"Not to worry," grunted Aunt Marge, mopping her face with her napkin. "Must have squeezed it too hard. Did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day. No need to fuss, Petunia, I have a very firm grip..."**

**But Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were both looking at Harry suspiciously, so he decided he'd better skip dessert and escape from the table as soon as he could. **

**Outside in the hall, he leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. It had been a long time since he or Evangeline lost control and made something explode. **

**He couldn't afford to let it happen again. The Hogsmeade form wasn't the only thing at stake - if he carried on like that, he'd be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic. **

**Harry and Evangeline were still underage wizards, and were forbidden by wizard law to do magic outside school. Their record wasn't exactly clean either. **

**Only last summer they'd gotten an official warning that had stated quite clearly that if the Ministry got wind of any more magic in Privet Drive, Harry and Evangeline would face expulsion from Hogwarts. **

**He heard the Dursleys leaving the table and hurried upstairs out of the way. **

**Harry got through the next three days by forcing himself to think about his Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare whenever Aunt Marge started on him. This worked quite well, though it seemed to give him a glazed look, because Aunt Marge started voicing the opinion that he was mentally subnormal. At this, Evangeline would always roll her eyes.**

**At last, at long last, the final evening of Marge's stay arrived. **

**Aunt Petunia made Evangeline help her cook a fancy dinner and Uncle Vernon uncorked several bottles of wine. They got all the way through the soup and the salmon without a single mention of Evangeline or Harry's faults; during the lemon meringue pie, Uncle Vernon bored them with a long talk about Grunnings, his drill-making company; then Aunt Petunia made coffee and Uncle Vernon brought out a bottle of brandy. **

**"Can I tempt you, Marge?" **

**Aunt Marge had already had quite a lot of wine. Her huge face was very red. **

**"Just a small one, then," she chuckled. "A bit more than that... and a bit more... that's the ticket." **

**Dudley was eating his fourth slice of pie. **

**Aunt Petunia was sipping coffee with her little finger sticking out. Harry really wanted to disappear into his bedroom, but he met Uncle Vernon's angry little eyes and knew he would have to sit it out. **

**"Aah," said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. "Excellent nosh, Petunia. It's normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after..." She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach. **

**"Pardon me. But I do like to see a healthy-sized boy," she went on, winking at Dudley. **

**"You'll be a proper-sized man, Dudders, like your father. **

**Evangeline, who was in the kitchen, snorted.**

**Yes, I'll have a spot more brandy, Vernon...Now, this one here -" She jerked her head at Harry, who felt his stomach clench. **

**Evangeline's smirk faded.**

**The Handbook, Harry thought quickly. **

**"This one's got a mean, runty look about him. You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty little thing it was- Weak. Underbred."**

**Evangeline gasped. Evangeline loved dogs. She couldn't believe someone would drown a dog. Then she remembered that it was Aunt Marge she was talking about. **

**Harry was trying to remember page twelve of his book: A Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers. "It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia" she patted Aunt Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one "but your sister was a bad egg. **

"**Yeah right!" Evangeline murmured under her breath.**

**They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us." **

**Harry was staring at his plate, a funny ringing in his ears.**

**Grasp your broom firmly by the tail, he thought. But he couldn't remember what came next. Aunt Marge's voice seemed to be boring into him like one of Uncle Vernon's drills. **

**"This Potter, " said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, "you never told me what he did?" **

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents. **

**"He - didn't work," said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Harry. "Unemployed." **

**"As I expected!" said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. "A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who -" **

**"He was not," said Harry suddenly. **

**Evangeline smirked.**

**The table went very quiet. Harry was shaking all over. He had never felt so angry in his life. **

**"MORE BRANDY!" yelled Uncle Vernon, who had gone very white. **

**He emptied the bottle into Aunt Marge's glass. **

**"You, boy," he snarled at Harry. "Go to bed, go on -" **

**"No, Vernon," hiccupped Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's. "Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? **

**They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) -"**

**"'They didn't die in a car crash!" said Harry, who found himself on his feet. **

**"They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!" screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. "You are an insolent, ungrateful little -" **

"**SHUT UP!" Evangeline screamed. "SHUT UP, YOU FAT COW!"**

**But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking. **

**For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her. She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger - but the swelling didn't stop. **

**Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched too tightly for speech - next second, several buttons had just burst from her tweed jacket and pinged off the walls - she was inflating like a monstrous balloon, her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband, each of her fingers blowing up like a salami -**

**"MARGE!" yelled Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia together as Aunt Marge's whole body began to rise off her chair toward the ceiling. **

**She was entirely round, now, like a vast life buoy with piggy eyes, and her hands and feet stuck out weirdly as she drifted up into the air, making apoplectic popping noises. **

**Ripper came skidding into the room, barking madly.**

**"NOOOOOOO!" Uncle Vernon seized one of Marge's feet and tried to pull her down again, but was almost lifted from the floor himself. **

**A second later, Ripper leapt forward and sank his teeth into Uncle Vernon's leg. **

**Harry tore from the dining room before anyone could stop him, heading for the cupboard under the stairs. Evangeline followed quickly after him. The cupboard door burst magically open as he reached it.**

**In seconds, he and Evangeline had heaved their trunks to the front door. Harry sprinted upstairs and threw himself under the bed, wrenching up the loose floorboard, and grabbed the pillowcase full of their books and birthday presents. He wriggled out, seized Shadow and Hedwig's empty cages, and dashed back downstairs to a waiting Evangeline holding their trunks, just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters. **

**"COME BACK IN HERE!" he bellowed. "COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!" **

**But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Uncle Vernon.**

**"She deserved it," Harry said, breathing very fast. "She deserved what she got. You keep away from me." He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door. "I'm going," Harry said. "I've had enough." **

"**So have I." Evangeline said.**

**And in the next moment, they were out in the dark, quiet street, Evangeline heaving their heavy trunks behind her, Shadow and Hedwig's cage under Harry's arm.**


	3. Chapter 3

**THE KNIGHT BUS**

**Harry was several streets away before he collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent, panting from the effort of dragging his trunk. Evangeline was running after him trying to keep up. He sat quite still, anger still surging through him, listening to the frantic thumping of his heart. Evangeline sat down on the side of him, panting.**

"**Harry…are…you…okay?" She asked while panting.**

**Harry shook his head.**

**She hugged him and put her head on his shoulder.**

"**You know none of that is true. Your mom and dad were great people. They are just bitter and jealous." She told him.**

**It cheered him up slightly.**

"**I'm sure your parents were great too." He told her back.**

"**I'm not so sure. My dad was in prison, Harry. He could have done something bad." She sighed.**

"**You don't know that, he could have done something minor and people just overreacted." He said rubbing her back. She smiled lightly.**

**But after ten minutes alone in the dark street, a new emotion overtook them: panic. Whichever way they looked at it, they had never been in a worse fix. They were stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world, with absolutely nowhere to go. And the worst of it was, Harry had just done serious magic, which meant that he was almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts. He had broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry so badly, he was surprised Ministry of Magic representatives weren't swooping down on him where he sat.**

**Harry shivered and looked up and down Magnolia Crescent.**

**What, was going to happen to him? Would he be arrested, or would he simply be outlawed from the wizarding world? He thought of Ron, Teddy, and Hermione, and his heart sank even lower. Harry was sure that, criminal or not, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione would want to help him now, but they were both abroad, and with Hedwig gone, he had no means of contacting them.** **Then his heart sank even lower when he thought about Evangeline. He knew if he got expelled, she would do something to get herself expelled with him.**

"**Evangeline, promise me something." Harry whispered to her.**

"**What?" She asked looking up from leaning on his shoulder.**

"**If I get expelled, don't follow me. Go to Hogwarts and continue learning."He said.**

**It looked like Evangeline was about to protest.**

"**Please?" He asked giving her the puppy dog eyes.**

"**Fine." She said unhappily.**

**Harry looked into his trunk. There was a little wizard gold in the money bag at the bottom of his trunk, but the rest of the fortune his parents had left him was stored in a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London. He'd never be able to drag his trunk all the way to London. Unless...**

**He looked down at his wand, which he was still clutching in his hand. If he was already expelled (his heart was now thumping painfully fast), a bit more magic couldn't hurt. He had the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father**

-** what if he bewitched the trunk to make it feather-light, tied it to his broomstick, covered himself and Evangeline in the cloak, and flew to London? Then he could get the rest of his money out of his vault and... begin his life as an** **outcast**.

**When he voiced this out loud Evangeline rolled her eyes at his over dramatic thoughts.**

"**It's okay Harry. In the future, you can live with me and my husband, and our three kids, in my mansion." Evangeline said jokingly.**

"**No offense Evangeline, but that sounds horrible." Harry sighed.**

"**Not for me, I have a husband, three kids, and a mansion." She said happily.**

**When she heard silence she sighed.**

"**Harry, I'm just joking, I'm sure you'll be fine." She said patting his shoulder.**

**A long silence came between them. And It was five minutes that passed very slowly.**

**They couldn't sit on this wall forever, or they'd find themselves trying to explain to Muggle police why they were out in the dead of night with two trunkful of spellbooks and two broomsticks and owl cages..**

**Harry opened his trunk again and pushed the contents aside, looking for the Invisibility Cloak - but before he had found it, he straightened up suddenly, looking around him once more. A funny prickling on the back of his neck had made Harry feel he was being watched, but the street appeared to be deserted, and no lights shone from any of the large square bent over his trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more, his hand clenched on his wand. He had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him. Harry squinted at the black alleyway. If only it would move, then he'd know whether it was just a stray cat or - something else.**

"**Harry what's wrong?" Evangeline whispered.**

**He lightly shushed her.**

**"Lumos," Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost dazzling him. He held it high over his head, and the pebble-dashed walls of number two suddenly sparkled; the garage door gleamed, and between them Harry saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.**

**Evangeline looked where he was looking and stood with wide eyes too. She couldn't move from the outline. It was like she was paralyzed.**

**Harry grabbed Evangeline's hand to make her move. They started to move backwards. His legs hit his trunk and he tripped, bringing Evangeline with him. His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter. Evangeline landed on the side of the pavement. There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light. **

**With a yell, he rolled back onto the pavement, just in time. A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying. They belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus. For a split second, Harry wondered if he had been knocked silly by his fall. Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night."Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve -"The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of Harry, and Evangeline who was still sitting on the ground. Harry snatched up his wand again and scrambled to his feet. Evangeline stood up and got her wand out of her trunk. Close up, he saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than he was, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples. **

**"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner. "Fell over," said Harry "'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan. **

"**We didn't **_**Choo **_**it on purpose." She said mocking his accent. She then turned to Harry.**

"**Did you **_**Choo**_** it on purpose?" She mocked again rasing her eyebrow.**

**Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend's antics. He was a little annoyed. One of the knees in his jeans was torn, and the hand he had thrown out to break his fall was bleeding. He suddenly remembered why he had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.**

**"'Choo lookin' at?" said Stan. "There was a big black thing," said Harry, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "Like a dog... but massive..."**

**He looked a-round at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Harry saw Stan's eyes move to the scar on Harry's forehead.**

**"Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly. "Nothing," said Harry quickly, flattening his hair over his scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for him, he didn't want to make it too easy for them.**

**"Woss your name?" Stan persisted. "Neville Longbottom," said Harry, saying the first name that came into his head. Evangeline raised her eyebrows at this, but didn't say anything.**

"**And you?" He said to Evangeline.**

"**Teddy Lupin." She said.**

**"So - so this bus," Harry went on quickly, hoping to distract Stan, "did you say it goes anywhere?" "Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, long's it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater. 'Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, "You did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"**

**"Yes," said Harry quickly. "Listen, how much would it be to get to London?" "Eleven Sickles for each of ya.," said Stan, "but for fifteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for sixteen you get an 'ot water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice." **

**Harry rummaged once more in his trunk, extracted his money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan's hand. Evangeline did the same and handed him the sickles. He and Stan then lifted his and Evangeline's trunk, with Shadow and Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus. There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls. A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.**

**Evangeline snorted at that.**

**"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel. "You 'ave this one." He said pointing to the bed on the right of Harry's." He put her trunk down and gave her a wink. Evangeline almost gagged at that.**

"**Here is your 'ot chocolate." He said handing her a mug.**

"**But I only gave you eleven Sickles." Evangeline said confused.**

"**Yeah, but they're free for a pretty lady like you." He said to her.**

**Evangeline almost gagged at that as well.**

**Stan left to go to the back of the bus.**

"**Aren't you going to drink it?" Harry asked, while Evangeline stared at the mug.**

"**You don't think he did anything to it, do you?" She asked, while she looked like it would be toxic.**

**Before Harry could answer, Stan started to talk again.**

**"This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Neville Longbottom and Teddy Lupin", Ern." Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Harry and Evangeline. Harry nervously flattened his bangs again and sat down on his bed.**

**"Take 'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's. There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus. Evangeline was laughing at Harry's misfortune. Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching Harry's stunned face with great enjoyment. "This is where we was before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?" "Ar," said Ernie."How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" said Harry.**

**"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'." "Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."Stan passed Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. Harry was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lamp posts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.**

**Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak."'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut; there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way. Evangeline had a huge smile on her face and was cheering at the speed of the bus. Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he had been traveling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. His stomach churned as he fell back to wondering what was going to happen to him, and whether the Dursleys had managed to get Aunt Marge off the ceiling yet. **

**Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. He looked strangely familiar. "That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!" Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.**

**"Sirius Black," he said, nodding.**

**Evangeline's head snapped up after hearing this.**

**"'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville, where you been?"**

**He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry. "You oughta read the papers more, Neville." Evangeline moved to sit by Harry so she could read too. Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:**

_**BLACK STILL AT LARGE**_

_**Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm." Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. "Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it-who'd believe him if he did?" While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse. Sources say they think he is going after Evangeline Black, Sirius Black's daughter, to try and reunite with her. Evangeline Black still remains safe as of now. **_

**Evangeline moved back to her bed without saying anything. She looked depressed. Harry wished he knew what she was thinking.**

**Harry looked back at the newspaper, and into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one."Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.** **"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"**

**"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?" "Ar," said Ern swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry."Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.**

**Evangeline let out a gasp at that.**

**She turned over to where her head was buried in her pillow.**

**"What, Voldemort?" said Harry, without thinking. Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus. "You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?""Sorry," said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I - I forgot -" "Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast ..." **

**"So - so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically. "Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say. Anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got the better of You-Know-'Oo -"**

**Harry nervously flattened his bangs down again. "- all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over."**

**Evangeline couldn't take it anymore and sat up.**

"**Where is the loo?" She snapped.**

"**In the back." Stan said pointing.**

**Evangeline got up and ran to the restroom.**

**"Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper. "What?" said Harry. "Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, I 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"**

**"If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow me self up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you ... after what he did..."**

**"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said ad 'appened, Ern?" "Gas explosion," grunted Ernie. "An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"**

**Ernie suddenly shivered. "Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Harry leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time. 'Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! We 'ad 'im 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? 'E was tryin' to run for it..."**

**Evangeline came back. Harry noticed that she looked pale and her normally happiness was gone. She sat by Harry and rested her head on his shoulder. She was trying not to cry. Her father was a murderer, hated Muggles, and supported Voldemort.**

**She hated him but a small part of her hoped he had some good left in him. She was never an optimist but she wanted to believe he was not as bad as everyone said he was. She sighed, she knew she was fooling herself.**

**Harry just patted her back and ran small circles in her back.**

**The Knight Bus rolled through the darkness, scattering bushes and wastebaskets, telephone booths and trees, and Harry and Evangeline lay, restless and miserable, on his feather bed. After a while, Stan remembered that Harry had paid for hot chocolate, but poured it all over Harry's pillow when the bus moved abruptly from Anglesea to Aberdeen. One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go.**

**Finally, Harry and Evangeline were the only passengers left."Right then, Neville, Teddy," said Stan, clapping his hands, "whereabouts in London?" "Diagon Alley," said Harry. "Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then." BANG.**

**They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Harry sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter. He would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the moment it opened, then set off - where, he didn't know. Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby- looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley. "Thanks," Harry said to Ern. He jumped down the steps, Evangeline silently following him with her trunk and Shadows cage, and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement. "Well," said Harry. "'Bye then!" But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus) he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. "There you are, Harry," said a voice.**

**Before Harry could turn, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere!"**

**Harry looked up at the owner of the hand on his shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach - he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.**

**Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them. "What didja call Neville, Minister?" he said excitedly.**

**Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted. "Neville?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Harry Potter."**

**Fudge then noticed a sad Evangeline.**

"**Oh thank goodness. Evangeline is fine too." He said, but it seemed a bit forced.**

**Evangeline rolled her eyes and was about to say a snarky remark but Stan interrupted her. **

**"I knew it!" Stan shouted gleefully. "Ern! Ern! Guess 'oo Neville is, Ern! 'E's 'Arry Potter! I can see 'is scar!"**

**"Yes," said Fudge testily, "well, I'm very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry and Evangeline up, but they and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now..."Fudge increased the pressure on Harry's shoulder, and Harry found himself being steered inside the pub. Evangeline followed them. A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord.**

**"You've got him, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"**

**"Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Harry. There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and looking around excitedly."'Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you are, eh, Neville?" said Stan, beaming at Harry, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder.**

**"And a private parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly. Bye," Harry said miserably to Stan and Ern as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar."'Bye, Neville!" called Stan. Evangeline, who didn't know what to do sat down at the table and asked for some tea. She had a feeling that Fudge couldn't care less about her wellbeing, but didn't want to be rude. Either that or he didn't want to get on her bad side. She drank her tea in silence feeling somewhat alone.**

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

**Fudge marched Harry along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, and then into a small parlor. Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room."Sit down, Harry," said Fudge, indicating a chair by the fire.**

**Harry sat down, feeling goose bumps rising up his arms despite the glow of the fire. Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Harry."I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic."Harry already knew this, of course; he had seen Fudge once before, but as he had been wearing his father's Invisibility Cloak at the time, Fudge wasn't to know that.**

**Tom the innkeeper reappeared, wearing an apron over his nightshirt and bearing a tray of tea and crumpets. He placed the tray on a table between Fudge and Harry and left the parlor, closing the door behind him."Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what matters."**

**Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate toward Harry. "Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then... You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."**

**Fudge smiled at Harry over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favorite nephew. Harry, who couldn't believe his ears, opened his mouth to speak, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed it again.**

**"Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" said Fudge. "Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, Harry, but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."**

**Harry unstuck his throat."I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive.""Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other - er - very deep down."**

**It didn't occur to Harry to put Fudge right. He was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to him now."So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and"Hang on," blurted Harry. "What about my punishment? And what about Evangeline?"**

**Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"**

**"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!""Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!"**

**But this didn't tally at all with Harry's past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.**

**"Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!" he told Fudge, frowning. "The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"**

**Unless Harry's eyes were deceiving him, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward."Circumstances change, Harry... We have to take into account... in the present climate... Surely you don't want to be expelled?"**

**"Of course I don't," said Harry.**

**"Well then, what's all the fuss about?" laughed Fudge. "Now, have a crumpet, Harry, while I go and see if Tom's got a room for you."**

"**Wait, what about Evangeline?" Harry asked, worried about his friend's wellbeing.**

**Fudge's teeth gritted.**

"**I'm sure you two can share a room, I mean you did at your aunt and uncle's house right?" He said in a fake cheery voice.**

**Fudge strode out of the parlor and Harry stared after him. There was something extremely odd going on. Why had Fudge been waiting for him at the Leaky Cauldron, if not to punish him for what he'd done? And what did he have against Evangeline? Maybe he was judging her because of her father?**

**Fudge came back, accompanied by Tom the innkeeper and Evangeline with her trunk. "Room eleven's free, Harry," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable. just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand... I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right? Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me.""Okay," said Harry slowly, "but why?""Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no... best we know where you are... I mean..."Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak."Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know… So, I'll say good-bye."He held out his hand and Harry, shaking it, had a sudden idea."Er - Minister? Can I ask you something?""Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.**

**"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission forms. D'you think you could -?"Fudge was looking uncomfortable."Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian -""But you're the Minister of Magic," said Harry eagerly. "If you gave me permission" "No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly.**

"**Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't... yes... well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry."And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room completely ignoring Evangeline. Tom now moved forward, beaming at Harry and a slight smile in Evangeline's direction. "If you'll follow me, Mr. Potter, " he said, "I've already taken your things up..." Harry and Evangeline, who wasn't receiving any help with her trunk, owl cage, and broomstick, followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him. Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire and, perched on top of the wardrobe -"Hedwig!" Harry gasped. The snowy owl clicked her beak and fluttered down onto Harry's arm."Very smart owl you've got there, chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five minutes after you did. If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter, don't hesitate to ask."**

**He gave another bow and left. Harry sat on his bed for a long time, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig. Evangeline sighed and sat on the chair. Fudge didn't give them two beds. Just one bed and a mattress that was on the ground and a small chair in the corner. Evangeline was outraged on the way she was being treated. She never did anything that made her a bad person, besides fighting with another person. And even when she did that, it was to protect her friends.**

"**I'll sleep on the mattress." Harry stated.**

"**No I'll be fine, besides, I had the better bed at the Dursleys. Besides, one day Fudge is going to need my help, and then he'll wish he never treated me wrong." She said with her head held high and sat on the mattress.**

**The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold. Harry could hardly believe that he'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago, that he wasn't expelled, and that he was now facing two completely Dursley-free weeks."It's been a very weird night," he yawned.**

"**It's always a weird day, when you're best friends with bloody Harry Potter." She joked.**

**Harry smiled at that. He would be offended, but he was just happy she was in a good enough mood to joke again.**

**She pulled her slightly long hair into a ponytail and laid down on the lumpy mattress and feel asleep, thinking of ways she could prank the Minister without getting caught.**

**And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows and fell asleep.**


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys are great!

To answer some the questions: Yes Evangeline meets Sirius, but at the same time everyone else meets him.

And I'll try to incorporate more of the pranks the twins and Evangeline do together. The will also be a little romance, but I'm not telling you who it is between. You'll just have to wait.

Love PinkFalcon1002002

Ps. Evangeline is pronounced E-van-juh-lin

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

**Chapter Four**

**The Leaky Cauldron**

**It took them several days to get used to this strange new freedom. **

**They could go wherever they pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.**

**Unfortunately Evangeline disagreed silently, the rumors where slowly worse and worse. But she just held her head high and tried not to listen to it. Sadly, it's easier said, than done.**

**They ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where they liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woollen balaclava. **

**Harry and Evangeline spent the long sunny days exploring Diagon Alley shops and eating under the brightly coloured umbrellas outside cafes, where fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ( " it' s a lunascope, old boy - no more messing around with moon charts, see?") or else discussing the case of Sirius Black**

**("personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban").**

**Unfortunately, a rather small women was talking to her son, got Evangeline upset. Right as Harry and Evangeline passed him she started to talk to her son, very loudly.**

"**Now Timothy, when you get to Hogwarts stay away from her. Her father is Sirius Black, and I hear she is just as nasty as he is." **

"**But mom, last year, she seemed nice, a little crazy, but nice." Timothy, a Hufflepuff who would start his second year of Hogwarts replied.**

"**Yes, but that's how Sirius started, I was in school with him. He was the exact same way, and look how he turned out." The mother replied.**

**Evangeline turned to probably tell off the mother, but Harry grabbed her shoulder and just shook his head.**

**She sighed and walked with Harry in the other direction, while Harry just rubbed her shoulders.**

**Evangeline could only silently think to herself.**

**Will she end up like her father?**

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o **

**A week after they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, they were walking by their favorite store: Quality Quidditch Supplies, and they saw a huge crowd.**

**Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry and Evangeline edged their way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until they glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom they had ever seen in their life. **

**"Just come out - prototype -" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion. **

**"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm. **

**"Irish International Side's Just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favourites for the World Cup!" **

**A large witch in front of Harry and Evangeline moved, and they were able to read the sign next to the broom: **

_**** THE FIREBOLT ** **_

_**THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART PACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOM TAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. **_

_**PRICE ON REQUEST.**_

**Price on request... Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. **

**He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life - but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already? **

**Evangeline was staring at it with wide eyes. One word popped into her head when she saw it: Shiny.**

**They didn't ask for the price, but returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt. **

**There were, however, things that they needed to buy. They went to the Apothecary to replenish their store of potions ingredients, and Harry's school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg, he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones, while Evangeline went to go buy her school books. Most important of all, they had to buy new schoolbooks, which would include those for their new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. **

**They got a surprise as they looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold- embossed spell books the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. **

**Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively. **

**Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet. **

"**Yeah, I should have warned you about them." Evangeline said nodding her head to the books.**

**As Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward him.**

**"Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?" **

**"Yes," said Harry, "I need -" **

**"Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. **

**He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage. **

**"Hang on," said Harry quickly, "I've already got one of those." **

"**And I've already gotten all my books." Evangeline added.**

**"Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. "Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning -" **

**A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart. **

**"Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility -cost a fortune, and we never found them...Well... is there anything else I can help you with?" **

**"Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky." **

**"Ah, starting Divination, are you?" said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. **

**A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul. **

**"Here you are,,' said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black- bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods - palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails..."**

**But Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens.- What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming. **

**"Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death. " **

**Evangeline grinned evilly as an idea struck her.**

**(AN: Warning may lose a couple of brain cells after reading Evangeline's thoughts. Read at your own risk.)**

_**What if I gave Dudley that book?**_

_**Wait, who am I kidding? Dudley doesn't read books!**_

_**Can Dudley even read?**_

**She started to get lost in her thoughts.**

_**I wonder what Harry and I are eating tonight?**_

_**I hope it's steak.**_

_**I hope Harry's not talking to me right now. Because if he is, I'm not listening.**_

_**What if I had a unicorn for pet? That would be awesome.**_

**(AN: This has been an opportunity for you to see into Evangeline's mind. I hope you haven't lost any brain cells.)**

**When Evangeline returned from La La Land, Harry was staring at the book.**

"**Harry, you okay?" Evangeline asked confused.**

**But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar... **

**The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry's hands. **

**"Anything else?" he said. **

**"Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. **

**"Er - I need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three." **

**They emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with Harry's new books under his arms and made way back to the Leaky Cauldron, while Harry hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people. **

**He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed.**

**Evangeline silently followed him in. **

**Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. They made the bed with clean sheets, while Evangeline's blankets for her mattress were just like it was in the morning: messy and on the floor. Evangeline sighed and put the blankets on top of the worn out mattress. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. **

**He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin. **

**"It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent... It was probably just a stray dog..." **

**He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat. **

**"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice. **

"**Cool! A talking mirror!" Evangeline said excitedly. **

**She pushed Harry gently away from the mirror.**

"**I've always wanted to do this!" She said excited. **

**She moved in front of it.**

"**Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She said in a sophisticated tone.**

"**You're kidding me right?" Harry asked looking at her like she was crazy.**

"**What?" She asked cluelessly. "You act like you've never wanted to do that before."**

**As the days slipped by, Harry and Evangeline started looking wherever they went for a sign of Ron, Teddy, or Hermione (Seamus and Dean in Evangeline's case). Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. **

**While they were at Quality Quidditch Supplies, they saw Dean and Seamus, where they too were ogling the Firebolt. **

"**Gigantor!" Evangeline yelled.**

**Dean turned around with a smile.**

"**Hey Fuse, You haven't punched anyone yet have you?" He joked.**

**Evangeline punched him in the shoulder rolling her eyes.**

"**Now I have." She smirked.**

"**Hey, I'm still here." Seamus pouted.**

**Evangeline rolled her eyes and hugged him.**

"**So Seamus, you shot up too." Evangeline said noticing he was a little bit taller than she was.**

"**Yeah, it seems like you're the leprechaun now." Seamus teased.**

**Evangeline smirked. "You might think your insult was clever, but I just think that I have a pot of gold."**

**Seamus frowned. "I finally get to insult you and you just come up with an awesome comeback! No fair!"**

"**Sorry, Seamus, but I'm not going to let you win this easily. Maybe someday you'll get me."**

**Seamus glared. "Mark my words, Evangeline Black, before we graduate Hogwarts, I will find an insult that you have no comeback for. Mark my words."**

**Evangeline smirked. "Challenge Accepted."**

"**Sorry to split up the family reunion, but Evangeline and I have to get moving." Harry said.**

"**Okay." Dean replied.**

**Evangeline hugged Seamus and then hugged Dean.**

** During their hug, Dean whispered, "Seamus is such a wimp."**

**Evangeline snorted at that.**

"**Well, see you later, losers." Evangeline said as she and Harry departed.**

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**They also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. **

**Harry and Evangeline didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother. **

**Harry hoped he never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic. **

**Harry and Evangeline awoke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that they would at least meet Ron, Teddy, and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. **

**They got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where they'd have lunch, when someone yelled their name and they turned. **

**"Harry! Evangeline!" **

**They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour - Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown.**

**"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry and Evangeline as they sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you guys left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and –" **

**"We got all our school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" **

**"Dad," said Ron simply.**

**Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Aunt Marge. **

**"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.**

"**Why yes he did! And I haven't been any prouder of him than at that moment."**

**"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just - lost control."**

**"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled." **

**"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." **

**He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?" **

**"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me."**

**At that Evangeline pictured plump Mrs. Weasley chasing Ron at full speed, in their backyard, with a shovel. She smirked at the thought.**

"**Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!" **

"**Yay! I finally have female company!" Evangeline said hugging Hermione.**

**Hermione hugged her back laughing. They let go and Evangeline sat down again.**

**Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things." **

**"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?" **

**"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books -" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two." **

"**I think those books will kill us by the end of the year." Evangeline said looking at the book suspiciously. **

**"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her. **

**"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I?" said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -" **

**"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes. "You're Muggle- born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!" **

**"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly. **

**"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry, while Ron sniggered. **

**Hermione ignored them. **

**"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."**

**"How about a nice book?" said Ron innocently. **

**"No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. **

**"I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig, Evangeline's got Shadow and you've got Errol -" **

**"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him." **

**Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers. **

"**Ron, are you sure it's not because it's his…. you know…time?" Evangeline said sympathetically. She didn't like Ron's rat, and Scabbers didn't like Evangeline. Every time she came up to him, he would run away. But she knew Scabbers was important to Ron. **

**Ron sighed a little.**

**"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl." **

**So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie. There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. **

**The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited, examining the cages. A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank.**

"**Lovely." Evangeline said grossed out at the snails.**

**Then there were cats of every colour, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-coloured furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails. **

**The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.**

**"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He been a bit off-colour ever since I brought him back from Egypt." **

**"Bring him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket. Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better look. **

**Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was second-hand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone. **

**"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?" **

**"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother." **

**"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely. **

**Evangeline's eyebrows rose up at that. **

_**Rats have powers?**_

**"Er -" **

**The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. **

**The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly. **

**"He's been through the mill, this one," she said. **

**"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively. **

**"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch.**

**"Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -" She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. **

**Ron muttered, "Show-offs." **

**"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle. **

**"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!" Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers. **

**"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door. **

**"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed. Evangeline stayed with Hermione and helped her pick a pet. **

**It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head. **

**"What was that?" **

**"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry. **

**"Where's Hermione and Evangeline?" **

**"Probably getting Hermione's owl."**

**They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat. **

**"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.**

**"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.**

"**Plus, he's fluffy!" Evangeline yelled, petting Crookshanks. **

**That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. **

**The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. **

**Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms. **

**"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron. **

"**Which makes him even better." Evangeline smirked.**

**"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione. **

"**And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?" **

**"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him." **

**"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron. **

**Evangeline slapped the back of his head.**

**They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily prophet. **

**"Harry! Evangeline!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?" **

**"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, Evangeline, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with all their shopping. Mr. Weasley put down his paper anxiously, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him. **

"**Um, how have you been?" Mr. Weasley said awkwardly. Evangeline saw what he was trying to do. Mr. Weasley was trying to keep the conversation away from Evangeline's father.**

**Ron, oblivious to this fact, said, "They still haven't caught him? It's amazing that he managed to escape Azkaban."**

**Hermione glared at him and mouthed the words 'shut it'.**

**Evangeline sighed. "Whatever,"**

**At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys' youngest child and only girl, Ginny. Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him, perhaps because he had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts.**

**Ginny ran and hugged Evangeline. Ginny looked up to Evangeline, while Evangeline thought of Ginny as her little sister. **

**When Ginny saw Harry she went very red and muttered "hello".**

**Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."**

**"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.**

"**I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands.**

**It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.**

**"Very well, thanks -" **

**"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy -" **

**"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing." **

**Percy scowled. **

**"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley. **

**"Mum!" said George as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand too. "How really corking to see you -" **

**"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. **

"**Fred! George!" Evangeline yelled.**

**She ran and hugged the first twin that was next to her, which was Fred.**

"**Hey, munchkin." He laughed.**

"**What is with you people! I am not short!" Evangeline yelled.**

"**Sure you're not." George said hugging the younger girl.**

"**Hey, not all of us can be tall freaks like you." Evangeline said straightening her back up slightly.**

**Ms. Weasley finally noticed Evangeline and hugged her tightly.**

"**Evangeline, are you okay dear?" Ms. Weasley asked.**

**Evangeline knew what she was referring to and slightly nodded her head.**

**"Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest.**

**"Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride. **

**"And last," Fred muttered under his breath. **

**"I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."**

**"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life." **

**Ginny giggled.**

**"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley. **

**"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. **

"**And she has me," Evangeline added.**

"**Oh God, help Ginny if **_**you're**_** her role model," Harry joked.**

"**Excuse me?"**

"**Oh, nothing."**

**"I'm going up to change for dinner..." Said Percy, and** **he disappeared and George heaved a sigh. **

**"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us." **

**Evangeline snorted. "That sucks."**

**Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlour, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, Evangeline, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses. **

**"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding. **

"**The Ministry are providing us with cars," Mr. Weasley replied.**

"**Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked as though he owned the place.**

"**For you, Percy," George said, in an amused tone.** **"There'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them," **

**"- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred. **

**Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding. **

**"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.**

**"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "- and as I work there, they're doing me a favour -" His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Weasley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under Pressure. **

**"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground... You are all packed, aren't you?" **

**"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed." **

**"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. **

**Ron scowled at Percy. **

**After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry and Evangeline. **

**He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on. **

**The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.**

**"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing."**

**"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.**

**"What's up?" said Harry. **

**"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry. **

**"So's Scabbers's rat tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar -" **

**"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy. **

**"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs. **

**Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlour. **

**A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys'. He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlour door. **

**"-makes no sense not to tell him," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and -" **

**"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!" **

**"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "You know what Harry, Evangeline, and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves - they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! **

**But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him." **

**"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point..."**

**"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is,** **but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after." **

**"But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts." **

**"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts." **

**"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry..."**

**There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.**

**"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'He's at Hogwarts... he's at Hogwarts.' Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You- Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..." **

**There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more. **

**"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?" **

**"Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed." **

**"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?" **

**"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that... but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid." **

**"If they save Harry..."**

**"Then I will never say another word against them," said Mr. Weasley wearily. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up..." **

**Harry heard chairs move. As quietly as he could, he hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlour door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs. The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.**

**Fred, Evangeline, and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.**

**"We've got it," George whispered to Harry. **

**"We've been improving it." **

**The badge now read Bighead Boy. **

**Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed. **

**So Evangeline's father was after him. This explained everything. **

**Fudge had been lenient with him because he was so relieved to find him alive. He'd made Harry promise to stay in Diagon Alley where there were plenty of wizards to keep an eye on him. And he was sending two Ministry cars to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that the Weasleys could look after Harry until he was on the train. **

**He wasn't sure if he should tell Evangeline or not. She deserved to know the truth, but she was devastated as it is and didn't need more bad news.**

**Harry lay listening to the muffled shouting next door and wondered why he didn't feel more scared. **

**Sirius Black had murdered thirteen people with one curse; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley obviously thought Harry would be panic-stricken if he knew the truth. **

**But Harry happened to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Weasley that the safest place on earth was wherever Albus Dumbledore happened to be. Didn't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him? **

**And then there were these Azkaban guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Black's chances of getting inside seemed very remote. **

**No, all in all, the thing that bothered Harry most was the fact that his chances of visiting Hogsmeade now looked like zero. **

**Nobody would want Harry to leave the safety of the castle until Black was caught; in fact, Harry suspected his every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed. **

**He scowled at the dark ceiling. Did they think he couldn't look after himself? **

**He'd escaped Lord Voldemort three times; he wasn't completely useless... **

**Unbidden, the image of the beast in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent crossed his mind. What to do when you know the worst is coming... **

**"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud. **

**"That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Dementor**

**Tom woke Harry and Evangeline the next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of tea. They got dressed and were just persuading Hedwig and Shadow to get back into her cage when Ron banged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable.**

"**The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy…"**

**Evangeline snorted.**

"**I've got something to tell you both," Harry began, but they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.**

**They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.**

**Evangeline grinned.**

"**What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as the three sat down.**

"**Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.**

**Harry had no chance to speak to Ron, Evangeline, or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig, Shadow, and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.**

"**It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."**

"**You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"**

**He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.**

"**But Crookshanks is so fluffy! I want to pet him!" Evangeline exclaimed. "Crookshanks is so cute!"**

"**I thought you said you hated cats?" Harry asked looking confused.**

"**That was in first year! I've matured." She said in a sophisticated tone.**

"**Yeah, sure." Ron said rolling his eyes.**

**Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.**

"**They're here," he said. "Harry, come on." Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.**

"**In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.**

**Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Hermione, Evangeline, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.**

**The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary, though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed. **

**They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.**

**Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.**

"**Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."**

**Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.**

**In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.**

**Percy and Evangeline suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run. Evangeline looked at Percy with disgust and walked away from him. Percy who either didn't notice or cared spotted his girlfriend.**

"**Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Evangeline walked over to Harry, and they both turned away to hide their laughter** **as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.**

"**Ass." Evangeline said rolling her eyes.**

"**Language!" Harry said mock scolding.**

"**Hey just last month you called Dudley a-"**

**But she couldn't finish because a blushing Harry covered her mouth.**

"**A what?" Ron, whom, along with Ginny, had just gone through the barrier, asked with a grin.**

"**Nothing!" Harry yelled his voice slightly higher than normal.**

**Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, (Harry's hand still covered Evangeline's mouth, to keep her from talking) past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. **

**But before they could, Evangeline bit Harry's hand. The effect was that Harry let go of her mouth and looked at her in shock. Evangeline stuck her tongue at him and ran to go say goodbye leaving the three behind her. Hermione and Ron snickered at this.**

"**Yeah mature." Harry grumbled wiping his hand on his slightly worn out sweater. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, ignored what just happened and went say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.**

**Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally Harry and Evangeline. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug. When she gave Evangeline an extra hug, however, Evangeline shouted at the Weasley children, "Ha! I got more hugs than all of you!"**

"**Do take care, won't you Harry? Evangeline?" she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron… no, they're not corned beef… Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear…"**

"**Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."**

**H e jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.**

"**There's something I've got to tell you before you leave —" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.**

"**It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."**

"**You know? How could you know?"**

"**I — er — I heard you and Mrs. Weasley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. "Sorry —"**

"**That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious.**

"**No — honestly it's okay. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."**

"**Please watch out for Evangeline too. He may go after her too. After all, she is his daughter. And don't get me wrong, I see both of you as my own children, but sometimes she has a knack to make things worse for herself. "**

"**Don't worry, Evangeline only acts stupid, she is really smart when she wants to be." Harry said defending the person he thinks of as his sister. **

"**Harry, you must be scared — "**

"**I'm not," said Harry sincerely. **"**Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"**

**Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.**

"**Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, —"**

"**Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"**

"**He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word —"**

"— **that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.**.

"**Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black."**

**Harry stared, "What?"**

**There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.**

"**Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens —"**

"**Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.**

"**Swear to me that whatever you might hear —"**

"**Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.**

**Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.**

"**I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron, Evangeline, and Hermione as the train picked up speed.**

"**Maybe we should find Teddy first, if it's something important Teddy needs to know too." Hermione suggested. **

"**But first," Ron said then turning to Ginny, "****Go away, Ginny," **

"**Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.**

**Harry, Ron, Evangeline, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for their colorful friend. They finally found her in a compartment, at the very end of the train.**

**This had only one other occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. **

**Teddy smiled at the sight at them, and said, "Hey! I missed you guys over the summer!"**

**She ran and hugged all of her friends that she felt lonely without over the summer. Surprisingly, she even missed Evangeline's annoying rants.**

**Evangeline was now looking at the sleeping man.**

"**Who do you think he is?" She said confused. No adults usually were on the train, besides, the conductor, and the trolley lady.**

**Teddy rolled her eyes and walked up to the man.**

"**Remember when I said I had a surprise for you? This is it!" Teddy exclaimed, gesturing to the sleeping man.**

"**A homeless guy?" Ron raised his brow.**

**Apparently, this statement infuriated Teddy.**

"**He is not homeless ! And to assume so is, in fact, very rude!"**

**She slightly raised the man's sleeping face. **

**He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray. He had a few scratches on his face. **

**Evangeline noticed a lot of similarities between the man and Teddy. When Teddy didn't change her hair color constantly she had the same light brown hair. She could see that Teddy and the man had the same nose and eye shape.**

"**Oh… So this is your dad." Evangeline said.**

"**Figured that out by yourself, did you?" Teddy said dryly.**

"**Yep!" She said proudly.**

"**What's his name?" Harry asked.**

**Teddy was about to answer, but Hermione beat her to it.**

"**Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.**

"**How'd you know that?" **

"**It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small case with the name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in gold letters.**

"**Oh."**

**Hermione frowned. "But… Dumbledore wouldn't possibly allow your dad to teach, would he? I mean, no offense, but, what if he favorites you in his classes, Teddy?"**

**Harry stared at her. "Hermione, first of all, Snape plays favorites, and he's been here for quite some time. And second, in first year, our teacher was a bloke with Voldemort on the back of his head. And last year, we had a fraud who claims to do heroic things that other people did. Not to mention, they were both horrible teachers. Do you honestly think Dumbledore cares whether or not he has a kid here?"**

**Hermione considered his point for a moment. "You make a good point, Harry."**

**Evangeline nodded. "Besides, if he's Teddy's father, he's got to be awesome! I mean, you can't just have a kid like this," She gestured to Teddy, "and not be cool! It's impossible!"**

**Teddy looked smug. "Why, thank you!"**

"**Anyway, what does he teach?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.**

"**That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."**

**Harry, Evangeline, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed.**

"**Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?"**

**Teddy glared at Ron. "Why do you seem so keen on insulting my dad?"**

**Ron shrugged. "It's just that he seems so strange. I mean, why is he on the train, and not already at Hogwarts like the other teachers are. And why is he so tired? Didn't he get a good sleep last night?"**

**Teddy's eyes narrowed at Ron and she raised her voice. "He's sleeping because he had a bad night last night. And, anyway, I hardly think it's **_**your **_**business whether he not he goes to Hogwarts on the train, Ronald!"**

**Ron's eyes widened, and he muttered under his breath, "Geez, I was just saying."**

"**Anyway…" Evangeline turned to Harry in an attempt to change the subject. "what were you going to tell us?"**

**Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione and Teddy had their hands over their mouths. Evangeline looked on the verge of tears. Hermione finally lowered her hands to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry… you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry…"**

"**I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."**

"**How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.**

"**Very thick," Teddy answered. "Something doesn't seem right here. Mr. Weasley told you not to go looking for him. But why would you do that in the first place.**

**They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected. Ron, Teddy, and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was, and Evangeline completely stopped talking.**

"**No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."**

"**But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too…"**

**Evangeline looked like she was about to say something-**

"**What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.**

**A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment.**

"**It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.**

"**Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.**

"**Yeah… mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."**

"**Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Teddy shrewdly.**

"**No! Well… I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys… but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"**

"**Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."**

**He nodded toward Professor Lupin. Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.**

"**We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. **"**They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."**

"**Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain —"**

"**Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "But that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"**

"**What's that?" said Hermione.**

"**It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything… Pepper Imps — they make you smoke at the mouth — and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next–"**

"**The greatest chocolate ever, my dad told me," Teddy said dreamily.**

"**But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain —"**

**Teddy snorted. "I don't believe that."**

**Hermione furrowed her brow.**

"– **and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.**

**Hermione looked around at Harry.**

"**Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"**

"'**Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."**

"**What d'you mean?" said Ron.**

"**I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."**

**Ron looked horrified.**

"**You're not allowed to come? But — no way — McGonagall or someone will give you permission —"**

**Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict.**

"**But you must go!" Teddy said. "I mean- Honeydukes- The Three Broomsticks- you can't miss that!"**

"– **or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle —" Ron added.**

"**Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose —"**

"**Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.**

"**But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare —"**

**Evangeline sighed.**

"**Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"** **She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.**

"**Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.**

"**Get out of it!"**

"**Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.**

**Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.**

**The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.**

**At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.**

"**D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."**

**Teddy shook her head. "When he sleeps, he's dead to the world. You'll never get him to wake up."**

**Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.**

"**Er — Professor?" she said. "Excuse me — Professor?"**

**He didn't move.**

"**Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."**

"**I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean — he hasn't died, has he?"**

**Teddy rolled her eyes.**

"**No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed her.**

**He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.**

**Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had met on their very first journey to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin house; he played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, the same position that Harry played on the Gryffindor team. **

**Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Malfoy's bidding. They were both wide and muscley; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms.**

**Pansy Parkinson (also in Slytherin), who had a face that looked a pug, was Evangeline's worst enemy.**

"**Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel."**

**Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.**

"**I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"**

**Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.**

"**Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.**

**Teddy grinned. "My dad." She did an uncanny impersonation of Malfoy. "He'll hear about this, Malfoy."**

"**New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"**

**Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.**

"**C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.**

**Harry and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles.**

"**I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and —"**

**Ron made a violent gesture in midair.**

"**Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful…"**

**But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.**

**Teddy laughed. "Trust me, you'd have to do something very loud to get him up."**

**The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.**

"**We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.**

**The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.**

"**Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast…"**

"**We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.**

"**So why're we stopping?"**

**The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.**

**Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.**

**The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.**

"**What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.**

"**Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"**

**Harry felt his way back to his seat.**

"**D'you think we've broken down?"**

"**Dunno…"**

"**What's going on?" Evangeline said, finally breaking her silence.**

"**Maybe we should wake up my dad."**

**There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.**

"**There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard…"**

**The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs.**

"**Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry —"**

"**Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.**

"**Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"**

"**No idea! Sit down —"**

**There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.**

"**I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.**

"**Who's that?"**

"**Who's that?"**

"**Ginny?"**

"**Hermione?"**

"**What are you doing?"**

"**I was looking for Ron —"**

"**Come in and sit down —"**

"**Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"**

"**Ouch!" said Neville.**

"**Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.**

**Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last.** **Harry could hear movements in his corner.**

"**Dad, what's going on?"**

**Lupin shushed Teddy.**

**After that, none of them spoke.**

**There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. **

**They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.**

"**Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.**

**But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.**

**Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water…**

**But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.**

**And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.**

**An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart…**

**Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder…**

**And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't… a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him —**

"**Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"**

**Someone was slapping his face.**

"**W-what?"**

**Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking — the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face.**

**Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.**

"**Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.**

"**Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that — that thing? Who screamed?"**

"**No one screamed," said Teddy, more nervously still.**

**Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.**

"**But I heard screaming —"**

**A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.**

"**Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."**

**Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it.**

"**What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.**

"**A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."**

**Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.**

"**Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…"**

**He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor.**

"**Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.**

"**I don't get it… what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.**

"**Well — that thing — the Dementor — stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) — and you — you —"**

"**I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching —"**

"**And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away…"**

"**It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"**

"**I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again…"**

**Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.**

"**But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.**

"**No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though… And Evangeline, was shaking and she was muttering things like 'help her' or something,"**

**Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu; he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?**

**Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know…"**

**Teddy gave a weak grin.**

**Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of his fingers and toes.**

"**We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"**

"**Fine," he muttered, embarrassed.**

**They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.**

"**Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.**

"**All right, you five?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.**

**The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again.**

**As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.**

**As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.**

"**You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"**

**Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.**

"**Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.**

"**Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"**

"**Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.**

**Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, and with a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no — er —Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.**

**Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the five of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.**

**The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"**

**Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.**

"**There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, you three."**

**Ron, Evangeline, and Teddy stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.**

**Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."**

**Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.**

**Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.**

"**I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything —"**

"**Oh, it's you, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"**

"**It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall.**

**They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.**

"**Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate —"**

"**I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly.**

"**Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.**

"**What does he need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"**

"**I'm fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.**

"**Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.**

"**I've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us."**

"**Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"**

"**Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

"**Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."**

**Harry went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. He had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.**

**It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.**

"**Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"**

**New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of his collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast?**

**Hermione sat down on the side of Ron, who was next to Teddy. Harry sat next to Evangeline. **

"**What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.**

**Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.**

**Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.**

"**Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"**

**Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."**

**He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.**

"**They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. **

"**It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.**

**Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. **

**Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.**

"**On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.** **First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."**

**There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. **

**Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them, Teddy cheering very loudly.**

"**Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.**

**Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. It was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry.**

"**As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."**

**Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.**

"**We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"**

**The Fantastic Five was the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.**

"**Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"**

**The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.**

**It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, Ron, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.**

**At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.**

"**Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.**

"**All down ter you five," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it… great man, Dumbledore… came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough… It's what I always wanted…"**

**Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.**

**Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"**

"**Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"**

"**Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.**

**Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Talons and Tea Leaves**

**After the Welcome Feast, Evangeline noticed that everyone except for her good friends were sort of giving her a wide berth, and being around her made them anxious. This seemed to put her in a horrible mood and she would snap at anyone who said anything about Sirius Black.**

**When Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.**

**"Ignore him," said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it…"**

**Teddy scowled. "I bet he was terrified of the Dementors, that lying snake. I know I was scared,"**

**Harry sighed. "But did **_**you **_**have a fit**_**? No!"**_

**"Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. **

**"Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"**

**Evangeline rolled her eyes. "I hope someone tells her how idiotic she sounds,"**

**Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley.**

"**New third-year course schedules," said George, passing then, over. "What's up with you, Harry?"**

"**Malfoy," said Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table.**

**George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again.**

"**That little git," he said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"**

"**Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.**

**Teddy grinned. "I knew it."**

"**I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors…"**

"**Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.**

"**You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.**

"**Forget it, Harry," said George bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking… They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."**

**"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"**

**The only time Harry, Evangeline, and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes.**

**Hermione was examining her new schedule.**

"**Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.**

"**Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look — they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough **_**time**_**."**

**Teddy frowned. "That's impossible! I'm only taking Muggle Studies as an extra class, and I'll be rushing from class to class! It just can't be done!"**

**"How could you manage that?" Evangeline said slightly shocked. **

"**I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."**

"**But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And —" Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look— underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock.**

**I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"**

**"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."**

"**Well then —"**

"**Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.**

"**But —"**

"**Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?" Hermione snapped. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."**

**Teddy raised her brow. "If you say you've gotten it covered, then I believe you. But you do realize you'll have a mountain of homework to complete, right? I can help with it, if you'd like."**

"**I'll help, but only in potions class." Evangeline mumbled and only ate a small piece of bacon before pushing her plate away from herself.**

**Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.**

"**All righ'?" he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready… hope it'sokay… me, a teacher… hones'ly…"**

**He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.**

"**Wonder what he's been getting ready?" said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.**

**The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule.**

"**We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there…"**

**They finished breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall.**

**The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before.**

"**There's — got — to — be — a — short — cut," Ron panted,** **as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.**

"**I think it's this way," said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right.**

"**Can't be," said Ron. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window…"**

"**We're going to be late if we don't hurry," Teddy reminded them.**

**Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.**

"**Aha!" he yelled, seeing Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron and Hermione. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"**

**Evangeline seemed to be in a sour mood. "Dogs? Excuse me? Who do you think you are?"**

**Teddy raised her brow. "Calm down, Evangeline."**

**They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass.**

**Evangeline snorted. "Idiot."**

"**Are you all right?" said Harry, moving closer to the picture.**

"**Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!"**

"**Oh shut up."**

**The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.**

"**Listen," said Harry, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"**

"**A quest!" **

**The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"**

**Teddy rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that we'll die trying to get to Divination."**

**He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!"**

**And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight.**

**They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead.**

"**Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.**

**Puffing loudly, the five climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.**

"**Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"**

"**Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."**

"**What a worthless knight." Evangeline said.**

**They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.**

"'**Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" Harry read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"**

**As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet.**

**Everyone got quiet.**

"**After you," said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.**

**He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. **

**At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. **

**Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.**

**Ron, Evangeline, and Teddy appeared at Harry's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers.**

"**Where is she?" Ron said.**

**A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.**

"**Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."**

**Harry's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect.**

**Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.**

"**Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, and Evangeline sat themselves around the same round table, and Teddy, Hermione, and Neville sat at the table next to them.**

"**Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."**

**Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts.**

**I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you… Books can take you only so far in this field…"**

**At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject.**

"**Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"**

"**I think so," said Neville tremulously.**

"**I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly.**

"**We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man."**

**Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him.**

"**In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."**

**A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.**

"**I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"**

**Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.**

"**Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."**

**Lavender trembled.**

"**Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read.**

**You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear," — she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."**

**Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china.**

**Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind… thank you…"**

**When Harry, Evangeline, and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.**

"**Right," said Ron as the three opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"**

"**A load of soggy brown stuff," said Harry.**

"**Wow Harry, you definitely have the sight." Evangeline rolled her eyes. **

**The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid.**

"**Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.**

**Harry tried to pull himself together.**

"**Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross…" He consulted Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' — sorry about that — but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on… that means 'great happiness'… so you're going to suffer but be very happy…"**

"**You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me," said Ron, and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction.**

"**My turn…" Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. "There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat," he said. "Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic…"**

**He turned the teacup the other way up.**

"**But this way it looks more like an acorn… what's that?" He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. "'A windfall, unexpected gold.' Excellent, you can lend me some. And there's a thing here," he turned the cup again, "that looks like an animal… yeah, if that was its head… it looks like a hippo… no, a sheep…"**

**Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter.**

"**Let me see that, my dear," she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch.**

**Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.**

"**The falcon… my dear, you have a deadly enemy."**

"**But everyone knows that," said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.**

"**Well, they do," said Hermione. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."**

**Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. **

**She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it.**

"**The club… an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…"**

"**I thought that was a bowler hat," said Ron sheepishly.**

"**The skull… danger in your path, my dear…"**

**Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.**

**There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed.**

"**My dear boy — my poor dear boy — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don't ask me…"**

"**What is it, Professor?" said Dean Thomas at once.**

**Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup.**

"**My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."**

"**The what?" said Harry.**

**He could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.**

"**The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!"**

**Harry's stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts — the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent…**

**Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. Everyone was looking at Harry, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair.**

"**I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.**

**Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.**

"**You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."**

**Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.**

"**It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left.**

"**Thank you, Seamus, for your great words of wisdom." Evangeline snapped.**

**Seamus eyes widened and he slowly backed away from her and hiding behind Dean. Dean rolled his eyes at his best mate's actions.**

"**When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him.**

"**I think we will leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. "Yes… please pack away your things…"**

**Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry's eyes.**

"**Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear," — she pointed at Neville, "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."**

**Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. **

**It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time.**

**Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he were about to drop dead at any moment. **

**He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.**

"**Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."**

**Everybody's heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand.**

"**Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and —"**

"**Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"**

**Everyone stared at her.**

**"Me," said Harry, finally.**

"**I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues —" Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white.**

**She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney…"**

**She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."**

**Hermione laughed. Teddy grinned. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney's classroom. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"**

"**When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch.**

"**Ron, cheer up," said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."**

**Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.**

"**Harry," he said, in a low, serious voice, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"**

"**Yeah, I have," said Harry. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."**

"**That's what that was?" Evangeline asked.**

**Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.**

"**Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly.**

**Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.**

**"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad," he said. "My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!"**

"**Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.**

"**You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"**

"**There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"**

**Teddy frowned. "I don't know, Hermione… Normally, I wouldn't believe it, but Harry's seen a big black dog… you can't blame us for worrying."**

**Evangeline scowled. "I, for one, agree with Hermione. You heard McGonagall. She's predicted a bunch of deaths, and none have actually died yet. And besides, McGonagall said she wasn't a true Seer. She's probably just yanking your leg there. Now, I think I'm going to go talk to Dean and Seamus." **

**She frowned at them all and then left.**

**Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.**

"**I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."**

"**There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.**

"**You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.**

**Teddy snorted.**

"**Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!" Ron accused her.**

**He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.**

"**If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"**

**She snatched up her bag and stalked away.**

**Ron frowned after her.**

"**What's she talking about?" he said to Harry. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."**

"**Something's up with her." Teddy furrowed her brow as Hermione walked away.**

**Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.** **Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Evangeline barely spoke anymore and seemed to be angry at the world. Teddy was behind them having a fervent conversation with Neville about Herbology. Harry walked beside Ron and Hermione in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins.**

**Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about.**

**Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.**

"**C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"**

**For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest;** **Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. **

**However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.**

"**Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"**

"**How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.**

"**Eh?" said Hagrid.**

"**How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.**

"**Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.**

**The class all shook their heads.**

"**Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. **

**"Look —"**

**He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.**

"**Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"**

**"I — I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.**

"**Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"**

"**Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success.**

"**Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "so — so yeh've got yer books an'… an'… now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…"**

**He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.**

"**God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him —"**

"**Malfoy, no one gives a damn what your father thinks, so do us all a favor and kindly shut up." Evangeline snapped. **

"**Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.**

**Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes.**

**The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.**

"**Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.**

"**Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"**

**Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.**

"**So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"**

**No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.**

"**Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."**

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.**

**"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."**

**Teddy winced at that.**

"**Right — who wants ter go first?"**

**Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.**

"**No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.**

"**I'll do it," said Harry.**

**There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"**

**Evangeline gave Harry a concerned look, but she still didn't break her silent streak.**

**Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence.**

"**Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then — let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."**

**He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.**

"**Easy now, Harry," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"**

**Harry's eyes immediately began to water, but he didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye. "Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Harry… now, bow."**

**Harry didn't feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up.**

**The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.**

"**Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it —"**

**But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.**

**"All right Harry!"**

"**Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right — yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"**

**Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.**

**The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.**

**"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!"**

**This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.**

"**Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…"**

**Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers.**

"**Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.**

**Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward.**

**It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred; the Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings.**

**Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again.**

"**Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"**

**Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees.**

**Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched.**

**Evangeline and Teddy practiced on a white haired one nearby.**

**Evangeline simply stood there, while Teddy was petting the hippogriff.**

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.**

"**This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"**

**It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.**

**"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"**

"**Oh, don't be so dramatic. The worst thing it did was scratch you!" Evangeline snapped.**

"**Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me — gotta get him outta here —"**

**Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.**

**Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.**

"**They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.**

"**It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.**

"**Oh, what are you two going to do? I beat you up in first year on the train!" Evangeline yelled at the two.**

**They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.**

"**I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy,** **and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.**

"**You think he'll be all right?" said Hermione nervously.**

"**Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse.**

"**That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him…"**

"**Poor Hagrid, now he is going to doubt himself as a teacher." Teddy said. **

**Evangeline nodded looking somewhat sympathetic.**

**They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.**

"**They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.**

"**They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.**

"**Yeah, it was Malfoy's fault for insulting it. Didn't Hagrid tell us not to insult them?" Teddy added.**

**Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured.**

"**Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Ron gloomily.**

**They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all five of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.**

"**There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly.**

**Ron looked at his watch.**

"**If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early…"**

"**I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him.**

"**I'm allowed to walk across the grounds," he said pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors yet, has he?"**

"**Ronald!" Teddy yelled looking at Evangeline's sullen expression.**

**Evangeline sighed, got up, and stormed into her dorm.**

"**Why is she upset? I thought she didn't know him?" Ron asked looking confused.**

"**But Black is her father, and she hates what he did, but at the same time she is confused about if she loves him or not." Teddy said.**

"**Maybe we should go see Hagrid." Harry said trying to change the subject.**

**So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out.**

**The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min."**

**Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.**

"'**Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."**

"**You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione.**

"**Not yet," said Hagrid miserably,** **taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But's only a matter o' time, I'n't, after Malfoy…"**

"**How is he?" said Ron as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"**

"**Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but he's sayin' it's still agony… covered in bandages… moanin'…"**

"**What a wimp. Harry didn't even act like that when he had to take Skele-Gro." Teddy rolled her eyes.**

"**He's faking it," said Harry at once. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year.** **Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."**

"**School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," said Hagrid miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later… one flobberworms or summat…Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault…"**

"**It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.**

"**We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."**

"**Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.**

**Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.**

**"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it.**

"**Ah, maybe she's right," said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. **

**Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash.**

"**What's he done?" said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.**

"**Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.**

**Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.**

"**That's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really —"**

**Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there.**

"**WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared,** **so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air.**

"**YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU THREE! LETTIN' HIM!"**

**Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door.**

"**C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"**

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**Evangeline stopped crying an hour ago. She changed into her pajamas and put her hair up in a messy bun. All in all she looked like she felt, horrible.**

**She was sitting on the couch, in the common room, reading her potions book. Well actually staring at the pages and thinking about nothing in particular. **

**She was broken from her thoughts when she felt someone sit down next to her.**

"**Evangeline, you okay?" Dean asked looking worried.**

**Evangeline refused to start crying. She was Evangeline Black, she was stronger than this.**

"**No." she mumbled before burying her head into Dean's chest. He moved his hand in small circles on her back, and smoothed her hair back with the other.**

"**Hey, it's okay to cry." He said.**

"**No, it's not. I'm turning into a crybaby like Pansy." She wailed.**

"**Wow, even when you're upset you are still insulting someone." Dean said.**

**That caused her to chuckle a little.**

"**Stop trying to make me laugh, I'm supposed to be sad right now." Her voice muffled from her head still resting on his chest.**

"**If you don't start cheering up, I'm reduced to extreme measures," Dean said in the darkest voice she'd ever heard. "Tickling." **

**Evangeline looked up in mock horror.**

"**You wouldn't." **

"**Try me."**

**Dean then started to tickle her on her stomach. Evangeline started to laugh. She then started to tickle Dean too. That led to them both play wrestling each other to the floor.**

"**I win." Evangeline grinned.**

**She had pinned Dean to the floor.**

"**Dang, I always forgot how strong you are, yet you have noodles for arms." Dean said picking up one of her arms for emphasis.**

"**Hey I have muscles; they are just hibernating for the winter… and the fall…summer…spring." Evangeline trailed off. **

"**Yeah okay." Dean said rolling his eyes. "Now come with me, Seamus and I are going to study in our room, and you're coming with me." **

**Evangeline groaned.**

"**I don't want to." She pouted.**

**Dean rolled his eyes before picking Evangeline up and throwing her over his shoulder, like she weighed like a feather. **

"**HEY PUT ME DOWN!" She yelled.**

"**No."**

"**What is with you and putting me over your shoulder?" She complained.**

"**Why do you want me to give you piggyback rides?" **

"**Touché." **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**The Boggart in the Wardrobe**

**Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon; his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. **

**"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"**

**"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.**

**Evangeline rolled her eyes at Malfoy's obvious faking. He was such a git. **

**"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly. **

**Harry and Ron scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said "settle down" if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention. **

**But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generality favoured his own students above all others. **

**They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table. Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione were at the table behind them.**

**"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm -" **

**"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up. **

**Ron went brick red.**

**"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy. **

**Malfoy smirked across the table.**

**"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots." **

"**I'd like to cut up his roots." Evangeline grumbled chopping her roots into perfect sized pieces. **

"**What does that even mean?" Hermione asked with an amused smile.**

**Evangeline looked confused herself.**

"**No clue."**

**Teddy gave a huge grin.**

**Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes. **

**"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."**

**Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair. **

**"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley." **

**"But, sir -!" **

**Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces. **

**"**_**Now**_**," said Snape in his most dangerous voice. **

**Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table a, Malfoy, then took up the knife again. **

**"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter. **

**"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him. **

**Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use. Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking. Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever. **

**"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly. **

**"None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking up. **

**"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury -" **

**"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron. **

**"- he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. **

**Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And lasting injuries like this" - he gave a huge, fake sigh - "who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?"**

"**Malfoy, if you keep on talking I'll break your other arm as well." Evangeline sneered.**

"**How's your dad?" Malfoy said with a smirk.**

**Evangeline opened her mouth but closed it instantly. Teddy shot the most malicious glare Evangeline had ever seen at Malfoy.**

**"So that's why you're putting it on," said Harry, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because his hand was shaking in anger. **

**"To try to get Hagrid fired." **

**"Well," said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, "partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me." **

**A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble.**

**Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse.**

**His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned - **

**"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see. **

**"Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one bat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?" **

**Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears. **

**"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right -" **

**"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. **

"**She wasn't trying to show off! She was trying to actually do something to help Neville improve! Yelling at him is just going to make him more nervous!" Evangeline stood up outraged. **

**Teddy looked like she wanted to agree, but she didn't want to cause more trouble.**

"**Ms. Black, detention, and twenty points from Gryffindor. Now sit down!" Snape yelled at his top student.**

**Evangeline slammed her book shut and sat down and folded her arms. She was already done with her potion. Anything was easy to her since making the Polyjuice potion. She loved Potions but the teacher made this her least favorite class.**

**Teddy sighed at her best friend. She was angrier than usual. She will eventually blow up and scream at someone and scare them to death.**

**Snape turned to Neville with his slimy grin.**

**"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly." Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear. **

**"Help me!" he moaned to Hermione. **

**"Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Harry's brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning - they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted." **

**"Where?" said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely.**

**"Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone." **

**"Not too far from here... " Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry and Evangeline, who was unaware of the conversation. **

**He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. "What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?" **

**But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed Harry. He leaned across the table.**

**"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"**

**"Yeah, that's right," said Harry offhandedly. **

**Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile.**

**"Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him." **

**"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron roughly. **

**"Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Malfoy, his pate eyes narrowed. **

**"Know what?"**

**Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh.**

**"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself. I also wouldn't have been hanging out with his daughter, Potter." **

**"What are you talking about?" said Harry angrily, but at that moment Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's... " **

**Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see. **

**Teddy gave Neville a slight encouraging smile. Evangeline looked deep in thought.**

**Harry and Ron packed away their unused ingredients and went to wash their hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner.**

**"What did Malfoy mean?" Harry muttered to Ron as he stuck his hands under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth "Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me - yet. And I'd never stop hanging out with Evangeline!" **

**"He's making it up," said Ron savagely. "He's trying to make you do something stupid..." **

**The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron. **

**"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering. "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned." **

**The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. **

**Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. **

**He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors burst into applause. **

**Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown. **

**"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed." **

**Evangeline was about to protest, but Hermione shook her head and mouthed 'no' to her.**

**Teddy smiled at Neville "You'll get it Neville, Snape is just a bad teacher." She said to him.**

**Harry, Ron, Evangeline, Teddy, and Hermione, climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Harry was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, while Ron was seething about Snape. **

**"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!"**

**Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around. **

**"Where is she?" **

**Teddy looked around surprised. "She was just right here." **

"**She walks like a ghost, and doesn't want to be seen. She lurks in the shadows." Evangeline said in a dark tone.**

**They stared at her like she had lost her marbles.**

"**What? I was trying to make comedy relief, but at the moment I'm not that happy." She grumbled.**

**Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at Harry and disappeared.**

**"There she is," said Harry. **

**Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something down the front of her robes.**

**"How did you do that?" said Ron. **

**"What?" said Hermione, joining them. **

**"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again." **

**"What?" Hermione looked slightly confused. "Oh - I had to go back for something. Oh no -" **

**A seam had split on Hermione's bag. Harry wasn't surprised; he could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books.**

**"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked her. **

**"You know how many subjects I'm taking," said Hermione breathlessly. "Couldn't holdhese for me, could you?"**

**"But -" Ron was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. **

**"You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defence Against the Dark Arts this afternoon." **

**Oh yes," said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the books back into her bag just the same." I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving," she added, and she marched off toward the Great Hall. **

"**Something's going on with her." Teddy said.**

"**Intervention in the girl's dormitory?" Evangeline asked.**

"**No she's clever, she'll try to change the subject, and you have a short attention span sometimes. You'll fall for it easily." Teddy told her.**

"**Hey I do not!"**

"**How's Quidditch?" **

"**Oh it's amazing, I can throw even farther than last year…."**

**Teddy raised her eyebrow at her.**

"…**.That proves nothing." Evangeline glared at her.**

"**Anyway, who else can't wait for my dad's first lesson? 'Cause I'm really excited!" Teddy exclaimed with a huge grin on her face.**

**Evangeline grinned. "I am too. I wonder what we're learning?"**

**Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. **

**They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. **

**Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his briefcase on the teacher's desk. He looked healthier than he had on the train. **

**"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." **

"**You are my favorite teacher already!" Evangeline exclaimed excitedly.**

"**Thank you, Evangeline." Professor Lupin chuckled slightly.**

**Teddy smiled.**

**"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."**

**Teddy walked alongside her father. Evangeline, Dean, and Seamus linked arms and followed the Professor, skipping.**

**Puzzled but interested, the rest of the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song. **

**"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin -" **

**Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling. **

**"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." **

**However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry. Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand. **

**"This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."**

**He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi! " and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing. **

**Evangeline gave a huge snort and almost fell to the ground in laughter.**

**"Cool!" said Dean Thomas in amazement. **

**"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. **

**"Shall we proceed?" **

**They set off again, the class looking at Professor Lupin with increased respect. **

**He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door. **

**"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back. **

**The staffroom, a long, panelled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. **

**Evangeline groaned when she saw her least favorite teacher.**

**As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."**

"**Then why are you here in the first –" but before Evangeline could finish Dean covered her mouth.**

"**She wasn't going to say anything." Seamus said. **

"**Evangeline Black, another Detention." Snape said.**

**When he said Black, a lot of people had shivered, but Evangeline ignored it.**

"**How many detentions do I have?" Evangeline asked looking at Teddy.**

"**Five, one from slapping Pansy," at that Evangeline grinned, "two from the prank in the Slytherin common room,"**

"**I felt they needed to be more colorful." She shrugged.**

"**And two from Professor Snape." **

**Snape got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear. Also, Evangeline Black can't keep her mouth shut." **

**Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers. Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows. Harry looked at Evangeline and if possible she had grinned even wider at the insult. Her smile looked taunting, like she was edging on Snape.**

**"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably." **

**Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Teddy patted Neville's back encouragingly. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap. **

**"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. **

**"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a boggart in there." **

**Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively. **

**"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?" Hermione and Teddy rose their hand, but the Professor picked Hermione. **

**"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most." **

**"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. **

**"So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, Why is that?**

**Hermione and Teddy raised their hands again.**

"**As soon as the boggart would find a person it would change into the thing that frightens them the most. They are only in their true form when no one is around." Teddy explained while Hermione put her hand down.**

"**When I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" **

**Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Harry had a go. **

**"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?" **

**"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. **

**"It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening."**

"**More disgusting than anything." Evangeline mumbled picturing half a slug.**

**Teddy wrinkled her nose.**

**"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please ... Riddikulus!" **

**"Riddikulus!" said the class together. **

**"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville." **

**The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows. **

**"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?" **

**Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out. **

**"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully. **

**Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape." **

**Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. **

**"Professor Snape... hmmm... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" **

**"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the boggart to turn into her either." **

**"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. **

**"I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?" **

**Neville looked startled, but said, "Well... always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress... green, normally... and sometimes a fox-fur scarf." **

**"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin. **

**"A big red one," said Neville.**

**"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"**

**"Yes," said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next.**

**"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees You, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And You will raise your wand - thus - and cry 'Riddikulus' - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag." **

**There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.**

"**This is the time I wish I had a camera." Evangeline said laughing.**

**"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..." **

**The room went quiet. Harry thought... What scared him most in the world? His first thought was Lord Voldemort - a Voldemort returned to full strength. **

**But before he had even started to plan a possible counterattack on a boggart-Voldemort,** **a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind... A rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak ... a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth... then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning... **

**Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, **

**"Take its legs off. " **

**Harry was sure he knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders. **

**"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin. **

**Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready. How could you make a dementor less frightening? **

**But he didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves. **

**"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward... Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot -" **

**They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready. **

**"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One two - three - now!" **

**A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville. Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes. **

**"R - r - riddikulus! "squeaked Neville. **

**There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag. **

**There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!" **

**Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising - **

**"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati. **

**A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.**

"**Teddy!" Professor Lupin roared.**

**Teddy gave a sort of grimace, and stepped past Parvati. Crack! Where the mummy was there was a man- at least, Harry thought it was a man. He looked like he was half-human, half-wolf, and he sneered down at Teddy with much menace. Teddy hesitated for a second, then-**

"**RIDDIKULUS!" She shouted with much more force than Neville or Parvati. The man suddenly wore a surprised expression, as his clothes became a pink leotard with a pink tutu. He wore ballerina shoes and was currently doing ballet moves.**

**Harry looked at Professor Lupin, waiting for him to call the next person. But Professor Lupin had a pained and sympathetic look on his face as he looked at his daughter.**

**"Seamus!" said Professor Lupin as he snapped out of it. **

**Seamus darted past Parvati. **

**Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end - **

**'Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus. **

**The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.**

"**Evangeline!"**

**Evangeline came up nervously, as she didn't even know what her worst fear was.**

**With a loud CRACK! the banshee turned into Harry.**

**He was lying on the ground, and blood was seeping out of him.**

**Harry felt a great pang of gratitude and love for Evangeline.**

**Evangeline blinked back tears. She just stood there shocked. Professor Lupin was about to move in front of her, but she finally snapped out of it, realizing it wasn't real.**

"**Riddikulus!"**

**Harry's clothes changed into a pair of green lederhosen and he began to yodel. **

**Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then - crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before - crack! - becoming a single, bloody eyeball.**

**'It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!" **

**Dean hurried forward. Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.**

**"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean. **

**There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap. **

**"Excellent! Ron, you next!" **

**Ron leapt forward. Crack! Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. **

**Then - **

**"Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet. He raised his wand, ready, but -**

**"Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. **

**Crack! The legless spider had vanished. For a second, almost everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily. **

**Crack! **

**"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined. **

**"Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone. **

**"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone... Let me See... five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice... and five each to Hermione, Teddy, and Harry." **

**"But I didn't do anything," said Harry. **

**"You, Teddy, and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. **

**Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me... to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."**

**Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Harry, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the boggart. Why? Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again? **

**But no one else seemed to have noticed anything. **

**"Did you see me take that banshee?" shouted Seamus. **

**"And the hand!" said Dean, waving his own around. **

**"And Snape in that hat!" **

**"And my mummy!" **

**"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?" said Lavender thoughtfully. **

"**None of your business." Teddy said, a bit shaken after her boggart. **

**Harry furrowed his brow at her. **_**I wonder who that man was? **_**He was determined to find out.**

**"That was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" said Ron excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags. **

**"He seems like a very good teacher," said Hermione approvingly. **

"**Thanks," Said Teddy.**

**"But I wish I could have had a turn with the boggart -" **

**"What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**The Flight of the Fat Lady**

**In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class.**

**Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin. Teddy expected this and made up witty comments to shut them up.**

**His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps,** **nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas,** **creepy, water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.**

**Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days,** **and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire.**

**Snape didn't seem to find it funny. It wouldn't have been as bad if Evangeline didn't ask in every lesson if she could borrow his purse. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, Teddy's grades in Potions dropped slightly, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.**

**Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him. Evangeline just squeezed his hand and rolled her eyes at the professor.**

**He couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he were on his deathbed.**

**Evangeline planned on messing with them later in the dormitory. First she needed to see if Teddy could help her out with it.**

**Evangeline woke up to see an almost empty room, Teddy was still asleep after staying up later than usual, studying for Potions class. Evangeline got out her wand with a grin.**

"_**Aguamenti!**_**" She said pointing her wand at the metamorphmagus. A jet of water came out of her wand and splashed Teddy.**

**Teddy shot up and slapped Evangeline across her face as a reflex.**

"**Ouch! Was that really necessary?!" She exclaimed while rubbing her jaw.**

"**Was shooting me with water necessary?" Teddy said her hair turning red.**

"**Yes."**

**Teddy raised her eyebrow.**

"**Okay, no, but I need your help with something."**

"**And saying, 'Teddy! Wake up! I need your help with something' wouldn't suffice?" Teddy said angrily.**

"**Are you going to help me or not?" Evangeline said changing the subject.**

"**With what?" She asked now curious, her hair turning back to normal.**

"**Here's what I have in mind." Evangeline said starting to tell her the plan.**

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Evangeline walked up to the tower, right before lunch started. Professor Trelawney was there looking into one of her crystal balls. Evangeline put on her acting face and walked into it.**

"**Good afternoon, Professor." She said in a pleasant tone.**

"**Why Ms. Black as I predicted, you're in time." She said.**

"**Professor Dumbledore needs to see you in his office right now. He said it was urgent." She told her.**

"**Very well child, oh, and stay away from the bacon tomorrow, my dear." She said before leaving.**

**Evangeline thought to herself 'Should I? Nah, I'll risk it.'**

**Teddy came in dressed like what Professor Trelawney. She then changed her face and body to match her Professor's.**

"**Now, remember to talk like her. You might look like her, but you have to act like her too." Evangeline said, before leaving the classroom to set up the first phase of the prank.**

**Lavender and Parvati came in giggling, probably talking about some guy they like.**

"**Professor, can you read our palms?" Lavender said sucking up.**

**Teddy wanted to comment back, but bit her tongue. She had to think, what would Trelawney do?**

"**Why, my dear girls, without looking at your palms, I can sense something. Something terrible." Teddy said, sounding almost just like the Professor.**

"**What is it?" Parvati said sounding a little scared.**

"**I can't tell you, It's too horrible, however, if you can avoid these three warnings, the spirits have shown me, you shall be fine." Teddy said trying to stay in character.**

"**What are they?"**

"**First, beware of a blond Gryffindor eating bacon at breakfast tomorrow. Second, something near and dear to you will go missing. Do not go looking for them, or very bad things will arise. Lastly, beware of lemon drops." She said faking a very grave tone.**

**The two girls looked at each other and ran out of the tower.**

**Teddy changed back into herself, but she still had the same clothing as Professor Trelawney usually wears. As she was about to leave, the said Professor walked in. They just stood there awkwardly.**

"**Um, good afternoon, Professor." Teddy said before running down the stairs.**

**When the next day arose the two Gryffindor girls were trembling. Evangeline and Teddy, however, had huge smiles. Teddy had her hair blond.**

**The four third year Gryffindor girls sat by each other at the table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione raised their eyebrows at this. Evangeline grabbed her usual share of bacon and ate it, however, this was different. She took one bite before spitting it out. The whole table gasped.**

"**OH MY BACON! THAT TASTES HORRIBLE!" She yelled before chugging her pumpkin juice.**

"**Don't be so overdramatic." Teddy said before eating a piece of bacon.**

**Teddy spit it out as well this time it landed on Lavender.**

"**OH GOD, IT'S HAPPENING!" Lavender yelled before grabbing Parvati and hightailing it out of the Grand Hall.**

**Everyone in the hall turned around confused. Evangeline grabbed another piece of bacon and ate it ignoring the looks that people were giving her.**

**Evangeline had stolen Lavender's necklace from her mom and Parvati's collection of make up before going to potions class.**

**The whole lesson was like usual. Snape favoring the Slytherins; him trying to find something wrong with Evangeline's potion; Finds nothing wrong so he leaves grumbling; Neville messes up his potion and Snape makes a snarky remark.**

**What was out of the ordinary was when Lavender and Parvati started shrieking in the middle of nowhere. Lavender stood up holding her neck frantically. While Parvati started to look throughout her bag very thoroughly.**

"**My mom's necklace, it's gone!" She shrieked, before looking around.**

"**My makeup bag, it's missing!" Parvati said frantically.**

"**Remember, she told us to not go looking for them." Lavender said.**

"**Ms. Patil and Ms. Brown, would you kindly keep your personal problems to yourself. That outburst will cost you twenty points from Gryffindor. During your outburst you have neglected your potion, now it has turned lilac, instead of it being plum." Snape sneered.**

**Just as he finished saying this the class was over and they were dismissed.**

"**Everything is going according to plan." Evangeline said before leaving.**

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Parvati and Lavender were walking in the hallway very jumpy. They looked almost as they would run away from their own shadow. They went to McGonagall and asked to talk to Dumbledore about their situation. They said the password given to them, which was 'Acid Pops', and they were allowed up.**

**They went up the stairs very fast, hoping that they wouldn't receive the last sign. They arrived to a particularly old door. Lavender knocked on the door very rapidly, just hoping for advice.**

"**Come in." Dumbledore's bright and cheery voice called out.**

"**Headmaster, I was wondering if you can help us." Parvati asked desperately.**

"**What is wrong, dear children?" Dumbledore replied.**

"**Well, Professor Trelawney predicted that something bad would happen to us if three signs appeared to us. Sir two of the three came true, and now we are very concerned." Parvati said with a slight tremble.**

"**My dear children, Sybil's predictions aren't always perfectly accurate. It is a very hard practice and can be misinterpreted." He said soothing the two girls.**

"**Now, would you two like a lemon drop? They are rather delightful, if I do say so myself." Dumbledore said joyfully, popping a lemon drop into his own mouth. The two girls' eyes widened. They screamed and sprinted out of the room.**

"**Oh well, more for me!" Dumbledore chuckled.**

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it more than made up for his unsatisfactory classes.**

**The Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.**

**There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, which was the position Evangeline played. Their job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, soccer-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the field; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoomed around trying to attack the players);** **a Keeper, who defended the goal posts, and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all,** **that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points.**

**Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field.**

"**This is our last chance — **_**my **_**last chance — to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.** **Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world — injuries — then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the **_**best — ruddy — team — in — the — school**_**,"** **he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three **_**superb**_** Chasers."**

"**Got that right." Evangeline boasted.**

**Wood pointed at Evangeline, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell.**

"**We've got two **_**unbeatable**_** Beaters." He said as he pointed to the Weasley twins.**

"**Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.**

"**And we've got a Seeker who has **_**never failed to win us a match**_**!" Wood rumbled,** **glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.**

"**You're brilliant, Oliver!" Evangeline said in a friendly tone. Harry noticed this. Perhaps her dumb crush on Oliver was finally over?**

"**We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.**

"**Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.**

"**The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team,** **I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing…"**

**Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.**

"**Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.**

"**We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.**

"**Definitely," said Harry.**

**Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Harry's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.**

**Harry and Evangeline returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.**

"**What's happened?" He asked Ron, Teddy, and Hermione, who were sitting in three of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.**

"**First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."**

"**Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets. Well, see you later, my pranking princess awaits." And with that, Fred left the common room to follow after Evangeline.**

**Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away. Hermione seemed to read his mind.**

"**Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."**

**A lot of the time when Evangeline was not around, Hermione, Teddy, and Ron spoke about Sirius Black freely, but restrained themselves whenever she was around.**

"**Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron.**

**Teddy shut the book she was reading. "Ron, although it would be fun for Harry to be there with us, it would be a whole lot safer for him to stay. No matter how tempting it is. Because, you must remember, Black is mad, you don't know what he'll do."**

**"Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages —"**

_**"Ron!"**_** said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay**_** in school **_**—"**

**"He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry —"**

**"Yeah, I think I will," said Harry, making up his mind.**

"**What about Evangeline?" Teddy asked.**

**Ron shrugged. "She's probably going to be snuck in with Fred and George through some secret tunnel of something of the sort."**

**Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.**

**"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.**

**"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" said Hermione.**

**Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron.**

**"Just keep him over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."**

**Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag toward him, took out parchment, ink, and quill, and started work.**

**"You can copy mine, if you like," said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry.**

**Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.**

**"OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"**

**Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.**

**"Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top —**

**"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.**

**Teddy made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.**

**Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.**

**"Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"**

**"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"**

**"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"**

**"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could **_**smell **_**him, Ron, how else d'you think —"**

**"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, **_**and**_** he's ill!"**

**Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.**

**Hermione marched off to bed.**

**Teddy looked at Harry. "They're behaving like a pair of kindergarteners." Harry nodded in agreement.**

**Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.**

**"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.**

**"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily,** **missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.**

**"Careful, Weasley, careful!" cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.**

**They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.**

**Lavender Brown seemed to be crying.**

**Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious.**

**"What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as she, Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, and Ron went to join the group.**

**"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."**

**"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender."**

**"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"**

**"Er —"**

**"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"**

**The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You — you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"**

**"Well, not necessarily by a **_**fox**_**," said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was **_**obviously**_** dreading him dying, wasn't I?"**

**"Oh," said Hermione. She paused again. Then —**

**"Was Binky an**_** old **_**rabbit?"**

**"N — no!" sobbed Lavender. "H — he was only a baby!"**

**Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders.**

**"But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione.**

**Parvati glared at her.**

**"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today —" Lavender wailed loudly. "– and she **_**can't**_** have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock —"**

**"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," said Ron loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."**

**Teddy sighed. This was getting annoying.**

**Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other, and when they got into class, Hermione sat by Teddy, and Ron and Evangeline sat on either side of Harry. Harry still hadn't decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.**

**"One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"**

**Neville put up his hand.**

**"Please, Professor, I — I think I've lost —"**

**"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave."**

**"Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry.**

**"Oh. But —" Hermione began.**

**"Go for it, Harry," said Ron stubbornly.**

**Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk.**

**"Yes, Potter?" Harry took a deep breath.**

**"Professor, my aunt and uncle — er — forgot to sign my form," he said.**

**Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything.**

**"So — er — d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I — if I go to Hogsmeade?"**

**Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk.**

**"I'm afraid not, Potter," she said. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule."**

**"But — Professor, my aunt and uncle — you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about — about Hogwarts forms and stuff," Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. "If you said I could go —"**

**"But I don't say so," said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission." She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity? "I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson."**

**There was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione and Teddy (and which Evangeline hit him for);**

**Hermione assumed an 'all-for-the-best' expression** **that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.**

**"There's always the feast," said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening."**

**"Yeah," said Harry gloomily, "great."**

**The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernon's signature on the form,** **but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadn't had it signed, that was no good. Ron halfheartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak,** **but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them.**

**Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.**

**"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."**

**Evangeline rolled her eyes at this.**

**On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally.**

**"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.**

**"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.**

"**Make sure you bring me some chocolate!" Evangeline said.**

"**In your dreams." Teddy said, "The chocolate is all mine. I'll get you some other type of candy though."**

**"Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."**

**Harry and Evangeline accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.**

**"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"**

**Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower. Evangeline didn't follow him.**

**"Password?" said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze.**

**"Fortuna Major," said Harry listlessly.**

**The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first-and second-years, and a few older students, who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off.**

**"Harry! Harry! Hi, Harry!"**

**It was Colin Creevey, a second year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him.**

**"Aren't you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey —" Colin looked eagerly around at his friends — "you can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!"**

**"Er — no, thanks, Colin," said Harry, who wasn't in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead.**

**"I — I've got to go to the library, got to get some work done."**

**Just then, the portrait hole opened and Evangeline came in.**

"**What happened to you?" Harry inquired.**

"**I may or may not have hexed Malfoy. No, wait, scratch that, I **_**definitely **_**hexed Malfoy."**

**Harry raised an eyebrow at her.**

"**What? He got on my nerves. He deserved it, though, so who cares?" Then she turned around and strutted through the portrait hole. (AN: Haters gonna hate meme is perfect for this. XD)**

**After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and follow her out of the portrait hole again.**

**"What was the point of waking me up?" the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away.**

**Harry and Evangeline wandered dispiritedly toward the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didn't feel like working. He voiced his thoughts to Evangeline.**

**Evangeline looked horrified. "We were going to the library? I thought we were exploring the castle!"**

**They turned around and came face-to-face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors.**

**"What are you doing?" Filch snarled suspiciously.**

**"Nothing," said Harry truthfully.**

**"Nothing!" spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. "A likely story! Sneaking around on your own — why aren't you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?"**

"**My friends aren't nasty! They smell rather nice, thank you!" Evangeline scoffed. "We can't go to Hogsmeade." She said grumpily.**

**"Well, get back to your common room where you belong!" snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight.**

**But they didn't go back to the common room; they climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig and Shadow, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Harry?"**

**Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door.**

"**And Evangeline!" Evangeline cheered. "'Sup Lupin."**

**Harry widened his eyes. "Did you just call him 'Lupin'?!"**

**Evangeline shrugged. "You know I say what comes to mind." Lupin chuckled at the scene, thinking about his old friends. He stopped reminiscing. It hurt too much.**

**"What are you doing here, anyway?" said Lupin, though in a very different voice from Filch.**

**"Where are Ron, Teddy, and Hermione?"**

**"Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.**

**"Ah, I almost forgot." said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson."**

**"A what now?" said Evangeline.**

**They followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.**

**"Water demon," said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."**

**The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.**

**"Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."**

"**Uh… sure." Evangeline said awkwardly. How were you supposed to talk to your teacher outside of class? It sure is awkward.**

**"All right," said Harry, thinking the same thing.**

**Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.**

**"Sit down," said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid **— **but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?"**

**Evangeline groaned. "If I see another tea leave, I'll go berserk."**

**Harry looked at him. Lupin's eyes were twinkling.**

**"How did you know about that?" Harry asked.**

"**He is all-knowing, Harry." Evangeline said seriously. Lupin chuckled as Harry raised an eyebrow.**

**"Professor McGonagall told me," said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. "You're not worried, are you?"**

**"No," said Harry.**

"**That Divination stuff is a load of rubbish, Professor." Evangeline rolled her eyes.**

**He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog they'd seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to.**

**He didn't want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn't cope with a Boggart.**

**Something of Harry's thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, "Anything worrying you, Harry?"**

**"No," Harry lied. He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. "Yes," he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupin's desk. "You know that day we fought the Boggart?"**

**"Yes," said Lupin slowly.**

**"Why didn't you let me fight it?" said Harry abruptly.**

"**Yeah! I wanted to see what his greatest fear was. Let me guess, Grease Monkey doing ballet?" Evangeline joked.**

"**Why ballet?" Harry questioned.**

"**It amuses me." Was the simple reply.**

**Lupin raised his eyebrows, but changed the subject.**

**"I would have thought the reason was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.**

**Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.**

**"Why?" he said again.**

"**Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Lupin?" Evangeline asked.**

**Harry shook his head at his friend's antics, while Lupin laughed lightly**

**"Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."**

**Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore, Teddy, and Evangeline.**

**"Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."**

**"I didn't think of Voldemort," said Harry honestly. "I — I remembered those Dementors."**

**"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well… I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry."**

"**That's deep man." Evangeline said, giving herself a mustache with her hair.**

"**What are you doing?" Harry questioned her sanity sometimes.**

"**What does it look like?" She said while giving herself a beard with her hair.**

"**Like you're being an idiot."**

"**Touché."**

**Lupin didn't know what to say right now, so he drank some more tea.**

"**You need to work on your people skills." Harry said to his strange friend.**

"**Me? People skills? You're funny."**

**"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?" Lupin interrupted their bickering.**

**"Well… yeah," said Harry. "Professor Lupin, you know the Dementors —"**

**He was interrupted by a knock on the door.**

**"Come in," called Lupin.**

**The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry and Evangeline, his black eyes narrowing.**

**"Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"**

**Snape set down the smoking goblet,** **his eyes wandering between Harry, Evangeline, and Lupin.**

**"I was just showing them my Grindylow," said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank.**

**"Fascinating," said Snape, without looking at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."**

**"Yes, Yes, I will," said Lupin.**

**"I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more."**

**"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."**

**"Not at all," said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didn't like. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.**

**Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled.**

"**Umm…Professor, is he trying to poison you? Should I get a bezoar?" Evangeline asked concerned**

**"No, it's fine." Lupin chuckled. "Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.**

**"Why —?" Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question.**

**"I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."**

"**I could try to make it, Professor." Evangeline offered.**

"**As much as I appreciate that, it is a very complex and advanced potion." Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands.**

_**So was the Polyjuice potion, **_**Evangeline thought.**

**"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," Harry blurted out.**

**Evangeline faced-palmed herself. Way to explain, Harry.**

**"Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion.**

**"Some people reckon —" Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."**

**Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.**

**"Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, Evangeline I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later."**

**"Right," said Harry, putting down his empty teacup.**

"**Aye aye, Lupin!" Evangeline saluted him before she strutted out, Harry in tow.**

**Lupin smiled at the pair that reminded him of his good times in the past with his friends. But it also reminded him of that painful time.**

**The empty goblet was still smoking.**

**...0.0**

**"There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry."**

**A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron, Teddy, and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.**

**"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"**

**By the sound of it — everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides.**

**"The post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"**

**"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look —"**

"**Honeydukes has the most amazing chocolate- "**

**"We **_**think**_** we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks —"**

**"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up —"**

**"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"**

**Evangeline scoffed. "As if."**

**"No we didn't," said Harry. "Lupin made us tea in his office. And then Snape came in…"**

**He told them all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open.**

_**"Lupin drank it?" **_**he gasped. "Is he mad?"**

"**I think my father is perfectly sane, thank you." Teddy scoffed suddenly getting defensive.**

"**What's your problem?" Ron asked.**

**Teddy glared at him, her hair turning red with anger. "You trying to say I have a problem? I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM! NO PROBLEM HERE! YOU'RE THE ONE WITH A PROBLEM!"**

**Ron looked very taken aback. Evangeline complained that she was hungry.**

**"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes." They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.**

**"But if he — you know —" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to — to poison Lupin — he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry and Evangeline."**

"**Grease Monkey is a lot of things: annoying, has favorites, unfair, could use a bath, mean," Evangeline trailed off, listing the unfavorable trait of their disliked professor. "Umm… what was I talking about again?"**

**"Yeah, maybe," said Harry ignoring Evangeline as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.**

**The food was delicious; even Hermione, Teddy, and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Professor Dumbledore made sure there was enough bacon for Evangeline.**

**Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape's eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?**

**The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.**

**It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The Dementors send their love, Potter!"**

**Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.**

**"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron curiously.**

**Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed.**

**"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password — excuse me, I'm Head Boy —"**

"**And modest." Evangeline said rolling her eyes.**

**And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."**

**People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.**

**"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.**

"**I don't know." Teddy frowned.**

**A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.**

**"Oh, my —" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.**

**The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.**

**Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.**

**"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."**

**"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.**

**It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.**

**"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.**

**"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.**

**"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."**

**Evangeline's mood dropped.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine **

**Grim Defeat**

**Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused. **

**"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. **

**"Send word with one of the ghosts." Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."**

**One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags. **

**"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him. **

**The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened. **

**Evangeline remained quiet. She sat in the corner of the room holding her knees up to her chest. No one dared to go closer to her, but they sure did talk about her.**

"**I think she was the one to let him into the school. What's to say she isn't on You-Know-Who's side?" Said a random sixth year Hufflepuff.**

"**But she's helped Potter all along, and is his best friend." A random fourth year Ravenclaw said, Cho Chang, Evangeline thought her name was.**

"**That could be a ploy. Think about it. She could be trying to take down Potter herself and turn him in to You-Know-Who."**

"**I highly doubt that, she has been nothing but nice these past two years, and now you think that she is an evil master mind. I think she has feelings too, you know. And you're hurting them." Cho said before walking over to Evangeline.**

"**Hi! I'm Cho Chang. You probably don't know me, but I'm a year older." She said, holding out her hand to shake.**

"**Hi. Aren't you afraid I'll hurt you or something? Everyone else seems to think that." Evangeline mumbled.**

"**I don't believe that. It wouldn't bother you if you were the one who brought your father into the castle. Unless you are extremely smart, which I doubt." She joked.**

"**Was that an insult?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow.**

"**If you need someone to talk to, let me know. I'm all ears." She smiled before leaving. **

**"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!" **

**"C'mon," Ron said to Harry, Hermione, and Teddy; they seized four sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner. They tried waving over Evangeline, but she ignored them. Harry felt a feeling of guilt and sadness for his friend, but pushed it down. He figured she needed space to think things over.**

**"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously. She didn't want to talk about it, because of their hurting friend, but she was curious.**

**"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron. **

**"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."**

**"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here." **

"**I'm not exactly sure it was just luck," Teddy said. "How lucky is it that this happens on the one night that we weren't there? No. I think he planned this out. Perhaps he tried to get in before we got into the tower because it would be more subtle that way. Think about it. He gets into the tower and hides in Harry's and Ron's and the others' room. Then when Harry came in, all he had to do was-well, you know."**

**Hermione shuddered.**

**All around them, people were asking one another the same question:**

**"How did he get in?"**

**"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know." **

**"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.**

**"He could've flown in," suggested a Slytherin. **

**"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron. **

"**I have as well, and all of your stories have holes in them," Teddy said to the three.**

**"Why?"**

**"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Fitch knows all the secret passages; they'll have them covered..."**

"**You think his daughter snuck him in?" A random Slytherin asked.**

**Evangeline cracked her knuckles. She was trying not to go off on people in the room, but it was against her nature. Luckily she didn't have to, her friends defended her.**

"**NO!" Dean, Harry, Ron, Teddy, Hermione, the Weasley Twins, and surprisingly, Cho Chang yelled at him all at the same time.**

"**Evangeline would never do that!" Harry yelled.**

"**She'd never hurt a fly!" Dean added. "Okay, maybe she would, but only if it was annoying."**

"**Be quite! Get ready for bed!" Percy yelled at them.**

**"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" **

**Fred rolled his eyes at his elder brother and grabbed his twin. They walked up to Evangeline, but didn't say anything. She was by herself, no one in the room dared to sit by her. Fred and George moved her sleeping bag to be between them. Fred and George just offered her comfort and tried to make things better without making it worse. George left because he knew his brother wanted to talk to her alone. He pushed his sleeping bag back to where Lee and the rest of his elder friends were.**

"**How come you aren't mad at me?" Evangeline whispered sadly. She didn't want Percy to come over and tell them to be quiet.**

"**Please. You don't have enough brain power to sneak a convict into the school." Fred said rolling his eyes.**

"**What's with everyone doubting my smarts?" Evangeline mumbled slightly feeling better.**

"**It's not that you're dumb. You're a third year. You don't know most of the magic required to sneak him in." He comforted.**

"**Fred, you actually said something intelligent." She smiled.**

"**There is that smile I missed." Fred chuckled before putting an arm around her shoulders. **

"**Here. Go to sleep." He said dragging Evangeline's sleeping bag closer so she could lay her head on his shoulder.**

"**Good night Freddikins." Evangeline mumbled tiredly.**

"**Night, princess." He said still holding her close with his arm around her shoulder.**

**The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind. Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. **

**Percy was only a short way away from Harry, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione. All of them were asleep except for him. Harry pretended to be asleep when his footsteps drew near.**

**"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.**

**"No. All well here?" **

**"Everything under control, sir." **

**"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow." **

**"And the Fat Lady, sir?"**

**"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."**

**Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps. **

**"Headmaster?"**

**It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. **

**"The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either." **

**"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?" **

**"All searched."**

**"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger." **

**"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape. **

**Harry raised his head very slightly off his arms to free his other ear.**

**"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next." **

**Harry opened his eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to him, but he could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.**

**"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation. **

**"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.**

**"It seems - almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns -" **

**"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.**

**"I must go down to the dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete." **

**"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy. **

**"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster." **

**Percy looked slightly abashed. **

**Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left. Harry glanced sideways at Ron, Teddy, and Hermione. All of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.**

**"What was all that about?" Ron asked. **

"**Snape suspects that Evangeline let him into the school." Teddy grumbled.**

"**Yeah, but he never liked her, he is most likely basing his theory on his emotions." Hermione commented.**

**Percy shushed them.**

* * *

**The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub. **

**Evangeline was very grumpy for the rest of the week. Nothing seemed to cheer her up. Except Fred Weasley.**

**The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and Replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day. **

**"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?" **

**"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer." **

**Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's worries. He was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died. **

**"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter," she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black -" **

**"I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic." **

**Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback. **

**She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter -" **

**"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"**

**Professor McGonagall considered him intently. Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested him as Seeker in the first place. **

**He waited, holding his breath.**

**"Hmm..." Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well... goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last... but all the same, Potter... I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."**

**Evangeline had it the worst. Everyone in the school, except her close friends were not daring to get within five feet of her (AN: That's about 2 meters for people who have the metric system). That, of course didn't stop gossip. The students who spread gossip around the school, were either really brave, or really stupid. Evangeline's temper was extremely bad, and when she cracked, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Surprisingly, she ignored it. She was in an increasingly bad mood, and Harry didn't know if she'd ever pull out of it.**

* * *

**The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news. **

**"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. **

"**WHAT!?" Evangeline yelled. She was in the middle of practicing her throwing and she threw the Quaffle to the ground.**

**"Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead." **

**"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.**

**"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..." **

**There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder. **

**"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!" **

"**Yeah! Malfoy is a wuss, and he is only milking it. Everyone knows that!" Evangeline added.**

**"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their styles quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory -" **

**Angelina and Katie suddenly giggled. **

**"What?" said Wood, frowning at this light-hearted behavior.**

**"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina. **

**"Strong and silent," said Katie, and they started to giggle again. **

**"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently.**

**"I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?" **

**"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. **

**"Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!" **

**"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously." **

"**We have to show them who's boss. The Slytherins think that we are going to lose because of this. Let's prove them wrong. Plus, Quidditch is the only thing that is keeping me calm at the moment." Evangeline added to try to help Oliver.**

"**Amen." Fred and George nodded.**

* * *

**The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed and none more so than Malfoy. **

**"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows. **

"**DO YOU WANT ME TO BREAK THE OTHER ONE?!" Evangeline yelled, upset that the coward was getting what he wanted.**

"**Evangeline, it's not worth it. He'll probably just get you in more trouble." Fred whispered in her ear.**

"**You're right." She said before calming down.**

"**How do you do that?" Harry asked, very shocked.**

**Fred just shrugged his shoulders.**

**The Gryffindor Quidditch team had no room to worry about anything but the Quidditch match the next day. Oliver Wood kept hurrying up to Harry between classes and giving him tips. The third time this happened, Wood talked for so long that Harry suddenly realized he was ten minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and set off at a run with Wood shouting after him, "Diggory's got a very fast swerve, Harry, so you might want to try looping him -" **

**Harry skidded to a halt outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, pulled the door open, and dashed inside. **

**"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin. I -" **

**But it wasn't Professor Lupin who looked up at him from the teacher's desk; it was Snape.**

**"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down." **

**But Harry didn't move. **

**"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.**

**"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile.**

**"I believe I told you to sit down?" **

**But Harry stayed where he was. **

**"What's wrong with him?" **

**Snape's black eyes glittered. **

**"Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were. **

**"Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty." **

**Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class. **

**"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far -" **

**"Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start -" **

**"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."**

**Teddy silently fumed. **

**"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Evangeline boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever. **

**"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you. I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows.** **Today we shall discuss -"**

**Harry watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered. **

**"Werewolves," said Snape. **

**"But, sir," said Teddy, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks -" **

**"Miss Lupin," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!" **

**With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.**

**"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape. **

**Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.**

**Harry thought it was odd that Teddy had not raised her hand; she did so in every class and knew all about werewolves as well as many other topics.**

**"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione.**

**His twisted smile was back.**

**"Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -" **

**"We told you," said Dean suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on -" **

**"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..." **

**Teddy's hand suddenly shot up into the air, seemingly out of frustration.**

**"The werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf -" **

**"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Lupin," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all." **

**Teddy's hair turned red, a sign of her anger, but said nothing.**

"**She just tried to answer the question." Ron protested.**

"**Detention, Weasley." He said not even skipping a beat.**

**Evangeline saw one of her best friends being insulted and she couldn't stand it anymore.**

"**She knew the answer and she was just trying to answer it! Why do you have to be such a bloody git all the time?" Evangeline stood up, with a glare that would make a grown man cry.**

**The class knew instantly she'd gone too far. Snape advanced on her slowly, and the room held its breath. **

**"Detention, Black," Snape said silkily, walking right next to the outraged girl, "I knew we shouldn't have allowed you to come back to Hogwarts. You cause nothing but trouble. If I hear you criticizing my teaching again, I can easily get Dumbledore to expel you. Heaven knows you would have been if you were in Slytherin." **

**Evangeline got up out of her seat and walked out of the door slamming it on the way out causing books to fall off Professor Lupin's bookshelf. She didn't return for the rest of the lesson.**

**The tension in the room was exceptionally enormous. No one made a sound throughout the rest of the class. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin. **

**"Very poorly explained... That is incorrect; the kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia...Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three..." **

**When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back. **

**"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention." **

**Harry and Hermione left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape. **

**"Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said to Hermione. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the boggart?" **

**Teddy's face was as red as her hair. "You heard what he called me? It's as if he wanted no one to answer his question. He just wanted to… never mind."**

"**I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon..." Hermione said.**

"**Oh, he's fine," Teddy reassured them. "We were both caught ill last night. Guess it was contagious. Unfortunately, dad's case lasted longer, I guess."**

**Ron caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage. **

**"D'you know what that -" (he called Snape something that made Hermione say "Ron!") **

**"- is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us! Evangeline's finally lost it, hasn't she?" **

"**Well, you can't really blame her; I mean, gossip spreads around this school like wildfire. The whole school's convinced that she let Black in." Teddy said angrily. Even though her friend could be annoying most of the time, she had her heart in the right place.**

"**She's never even met her dad before. So how would she even be able to sneak him in?" Harry added.**

"**Well, we know that, but the school doesn't know that." Hermione pointed out.**

**They didn't find Evangeline until Hermione and Teddy went to their Dormitory. She was on her bed reading a potions book. Which wasn't really unusual, as the only books she read were potions books. **

"**Evangeline, you okay?" Hermione asked concerned.**

**Evangeline jumped at the sound of her voice.**

"**Hey guys, didn't see you come in." She nervously giggled.**

"**What are you doing?" Teddy asked curiously.**

"**Oh, just looking for potions that I can attack Grease Monkey with." She said like it was natural occurrence.**

"**By the way, we have homework in Defense: two rolls of parchment on how to recognize and kill werewolves." Hermione told her.**

"**Why would I want to kill a werewolf? They're people just like us, they just have a unfortunate curse." Evangeline said.**

**Teddy smiled at that.**

"**Are you going to become a werewolf activist?" Hermione asked. **

**Not that she'd mind, she'd just never thought that Evangeline was much of an activist. Then again, she did rebel against unfair treatment, and bullies.**

"**Maybe, once I get out of Hogwarts, I'll start a campaign." Evangeline added before reading her book.**

"**I'll join you on that!" Teddy added.**

"**I will too, and I'm sure the boys will join as well." Hermione smiled.**

* * *

**Harry woke extremely early the next morning; so early that it was till dark. For a moment he thought the roaring of the wind had woken him. Then he felt a cold breeze on the back of his neck and sat bolt upright - Peeves the Poltergeist had been floating next to him, blowing hard in his ear. **

**"What did you do that for?" said Harry furiously. **

**Peeves puffed out his cheeks, blew hard, and zoomed backward out of the room, cackling. **

**Harry fumbled for his alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four. **

**Cursing Peeves, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that he was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours he would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale. Finally, he gave up any thought of more sleep, got up, dressed, picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand, and walked quietly out of the dormitory. As Harry opened the door, something brushed against his leg. He bent down just in time to grab Crookshanks by the end of his bushy tail and drag him outside. **

**"You know, I reckon Ron was right about you," Harry told Crookshanks suspiciously. "There are plenty of mice around this place - go and chase them. Go on," he added, nudging Crookshanks down the spiral staircase with his foot. "Leave Scabbers alone." **

**The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Harry knew better than to think the match would be cancelled; Quidditch matches weren't called off for trifles like thunderstorms. Nevertheless, he was starting to feel very apprehensive. Wood had pointed out Cedric Diggory to him in the corridor; Diggory was a fifth year and a lot bigger than Harry. **

**Seekers were usually light and speedy, but Diggory's weight would be an advantage in this weather because he was less likely to be blown off course. **

**Harry whiled away the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up the boys, staircase again. At long last Harry thought it must be time for breakfast, so he headed through the portrait hole alone. **

**"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan. **

**"Oh, shut up," Harry yawned. **

**He revived a bit over a large bowl of porridge, and by the time he'd started on toast, the rest of the team had turned up, including Evangeline.**

**"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything. **

**"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Katie soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain." **

**But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. Just before he entered the locker room, Harry saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at him from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium. Evangeline pointed her wand at them and all three tripped in a puddle of water. **

**The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him. **

"**That was cheerful." George whispered to his twin.**

**The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over Harry's glasses. How on earth was he going to see the Snitch in this? **

**The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood no, looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. **

**Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount your brooms." **

**He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant they were off Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind.**

**He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain. Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind.**

**Evangeline grabbed hold of the Quaffle and flew to the Gryffindor goals. She was struggling to hold on to it, as it was extremely wet. She tossed it to Katie who scored, which was the only goal that the Gryffindor team managed to get so far.**

**The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming. He lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold his broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice Harry nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, he could hardly tell them apart... With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud. **

**"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here -" **

**They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes. **

**"What's the score?" **

**"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night." **

**"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses. **

**At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming. **

**"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!" **

**He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"**

**"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"**

**Wood looked as though he could have kissed her. **

**"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!" **

**Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see. Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction... **

**There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly - He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely , the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats. **

**Harry's numb hands slipped on the broom handle and his Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking his sodden bangs out of his eyes, he squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished. **

**"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!" **

**Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them - With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch. **

**"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. 'Faster!" **

**But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf - what was going on? **

**And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below... Before he'd had time to think, Harry had taken his eyes off the Snitch and looked down. At least a hundred dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath him. **

**It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again... Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head... a woman... **

**"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" **

**"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now..." **

**"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead -" **

**Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain... What was he doing? Why was he flying?**

**He needed to help her... She was going to die... She was going to be murdered... **

**He was falling, falling through the icy mist. **

**Evangeline saw this and tossed the Quaffle to Angelina and flew up to try and catch Harry. She picked up speed ignoring the game around her.**

**"Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy..."**

**A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more. **

**"Lucky Evangeline got there in time."**

**"I thought he was dead for sure." **

**"But he didn't even break his glasses."**

**Harry could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. He didn't have a clue where he was, or how he'd got there, or what he'd been doing before he got there. **

**All he knew was that every inch of him was aching as though it had been beaten. **

**"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life." **

**Scariest... the scariest thing... hooded black figures... cold ... screaming... **

**Harry's eyes snapped open. He was lying in the hospital wing. **

**The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around his bed. Ron, Teddy, and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool. **

**"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud.**

**"How're you feeling?"**

**It was as though Harry's memory was on fast forward. The lightning - the Grim -the Snitch - and the dementors...**

**"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped. **

**"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been - what - fifty feet?" **

**"We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking. **

"**I caught you just in time. I was so worried." Said Evangeline, showing her uneasiness. **

**Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot. **

**"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?" **

**No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into Harry like a stone. **

**"We didn't - lose?" **

**"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square... even Wood admits it." **

**"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there. **

**"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself." **

**Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly. **

"**Harry, no one blames you. There was nothing you could do about the dementors." Teddy rubbed his shoulders. **

**"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before." **

**"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George. **

**"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points" **

**"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin -." **

**"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George. "But if they beat Ravenclaw..." **

**"No way, Ravenclaw is too good."**

**But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..." **

**"It all depends on the points - a margin of a hundred either way." **

**Harry lay there, not saying a word. They had lost... for the first time ever, he had lost a Quidditch match. **

**After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace. **

**"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had." **

**The team trooped out, except Evangeline, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron, Evangeline, Teddy and Hermione moved nearer to Harry's bed. **

**"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. **

**"I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand and you sort of slowed down so it was easier for Evangeline to catch you on her broom. He whirled his wand at the dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium right away... He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him -" **

**"Then, he magicked you onto a stretcher," said Ron. "And walked up to school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were -" **

**His voice faded, but Harry hardly noticed. He was thinking about what the dementors had done to him... about the screaming voice. **

**Evangeline was stroking his messy hair, her motherly side showing. She was the one who was panicking the most. **

**"Did someone get my Nimbus?" **

**Ron , Teddy, Hermione, and Evangeline all looked at each other nervously**

**"Er -" **

**"What?" said Harry, looking from one to the other. **

**"Well... when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly. **

**"And?" **

**"And it hit - it hit - oh, Harry - it hit the Whomping Willow." Teddy finished for Hermione.**

**Harry's insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds. **

**"And?" he said, dreading the answer. **

**"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It - it doesn't like being hit."**

**"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice. **

**Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.**

* * *

**After they left the hospital wing, Hermione left to go to the library for homework. Ron left the Hospital wing, and went to his dormitory. Teddy and Evangeline went to their dormitory together. Once Evangeline checked that no one else was in the room, she locked the door.**

"**What are you doing?" Teddy asked her suspiciously.**

**Evangeline shushed her and said a spell that would make the room mute.**

"**I know." Said Evangeline.**

"**What are you talking about?" Teddy asked nervously.**

"**About your dad being a werewolf." She replied instantly.**

**Teddy gulped instantly, surprised.**

"**How did you figure it out?" **

"**I looked up the potion that Grease Monkey gave him, because I didn't trust Snape. That potion was Wolfsbane potion. It's a potion that relieves pain of lycanthropy, but doesn't cure it. It also lets the taker act more human as a werewolf. Plus, he always gets sick around the full moon. And you get headaches around the same time too. And his boggart was the full moon." Evangeline said putting the pieces together.**

"**Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Teddy asked.**

"**Well, I wanted to help you and your dad somehow. And I didn't want anyone else to find out, because they might not be as understanding as me." She replied.**

"**You don't mind?" Teddy asked shocked.**

"**No, Professor Lupin is one of the best teachers we ever had. He's a great person, and I refuse to believe he's a monster. Plus, you're my best friend, and I couldn't do that to you." Evangeline replied.**

**Teddy ran and hugged her close friend. **

"**Thank you!" Teddy mumbled.**

"**Can I tell my dad that you know?" Teddy asked a little later.**

"**Sure, as long as you mention that I don't care." Evangeline said as she was getting her pajamas ready for bed.**

"**Evangeline?"**

"**Yeah?"**

"**My boggart was the man that turned my dad into a werewolf." Teddy said reluctantly.**

"**I figured, why are you afraid of him?"**

"**I'm afraid that he is coming back for me, to turn me into a werewolf too." Teddy admitted.**

"**Even if he does try, he'll have to get through me, before he gets to my friends." Evangeline said strongly.**

**They both got ready for bed.**

**Evangeline unlocked the door and unmuted the room.**

"**Teddy, one last question." Evangeline said before getting in her bed.**

"**What?"**

"**What did you see in the mirror of Erised?"Evangeline asked.**

"**My family standing in the light of a full moon, my dad healthy and without all the scars." Teddy replied before she fell asleep.**

**Evangeline sighed before she too fell asleep.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: The Marauders Map.

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. He didn't argue or complain, but he wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn't help it; he felt as though he'd lost one of his best friends. He had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering him up. Hagrid sent him a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit.

The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. Ron, Evangeline, Teddy, Hermione left Harry's bedside only at night. However, nothing anyone said or did could make Harry feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling him.

He hadn't told anyone about the Grim, not even Ron, Teddy and Hermione, because he knew Ron would panic; Teddy and Hermione would scoff. He didn't want to burden Evangeline with it because she was dealing with her own problems. She was hardly hanging out with them like she used to. She'd stay by his bed side while he was recovering, but it wasn't the same Evangeline. She usually wore a blank stare and held his hand, rarely speaking

Then he was worrying not only about his closest friend and the grim, he was also apprehensive about the Dementors. Harry felt sick and humiliated every time he thought of them. Everyone said the Dementors were horrible, but no one else except him collapsed every time they went near one. No one else heard echoes in their head of their dying parents.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where he was forced to think about other things, even if he had to endure Malfoy and Pansy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom. Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor.

"If Snape's teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch.

"Ditto." Evangeline muttered.

"It's okay." Said Teddy. "He is fine today."

Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats. Teddy ran to give him a hug. Professor Lupin looked up at Evangeline wearily. Evangeline offered a small smile. Harry found this odd but didn't question it. The class burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves —"

"— two rolls of parchment!"

"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly.

The babble broke out again.

"Yes, but he said we were really behind —"

"— he wouldn't listen —"

"— two rolls of parchment!"

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh no," said Hermione, looking very disappointed."I've already finished it!" She said disappointed. Ron stared at her.

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead — people follow the light — then —"

The Hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Harry among them, but —

"Wait a moment, Harry and Evangeline," Lupin called. "I'd like a word."

Harry and Evangeline doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth.

"I heard about the match, Harry," said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

"No," said Harry. "The tree smashed it to bits."

Lupin sighed.

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance."

"Did you hear about the Dementors too?" said Evangeline with difficulty. It was the longest sentence she's said all week.

Lupin looked at them quickly.

"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time… furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds… I suppose they were the reason you fell?"

"Yes," said Harry. He hesitated, and then the question he had to ask burst from him before he could stop himself. "Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just —?"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The Dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have."

A ray of wintry sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's grey hairs and the lines on his young face.

"Evangeline do you have something similar happen to you around Dementors?" He asked looking at the said girl.

"Nothing as bad as Harry's reaction, but I do hear screaming sometimes. I didn't really say anything; I didn't want much attention on me. I don't know who it is but it sounds like a lady yelling stop. It usually causes me to have a huge headache. But I never faint." She finished quietly.

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself — soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. The worst that happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"When they get near me—" Harry stared at Lupin's desk, his throat tight. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

Evangeline gripped his hand offering some comfort. Was it possible that the women she heard screaming in her head was her mother?

Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then —

"Why did they have to come to the match?" said Harry bitterly.

"They're getting hungry," said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up… I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement… emotions running high… it was their idea of a feast."

Evangeline looked disgusted.

"Azkaban must be terrible," Harry muttered. Lupin nodded grimly.

"The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."

"But Sirius Black escaped from them," Harry said slowly. "He got away…"

Evangeline looked down at that. Why must he come up in every conversation? She never even met him and so far he has changed her life completely.

Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

"Yes," he said, straightening up, "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible… Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long…"

"You made that Dementor on the train back off," said Harry suddenly.

"There are — certain defenses one can use," said Lupin. "But there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."

"What defenses?" said Harry at once.

"Can you teach him?" Evangeline added.

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors — quite the contrary…"

"But if the Dementors come to another Quidditch match, I need to be able to fight them —"

Lupin looked into Harry's determined face, hesitated, then said, "Well… all right. I'll try and help. However, it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill. Now Harry, if you could please step outside so I can talk to Evangeline." Harry complied and left, and Lupin turned to Evangeline.

"Before you even start talking, I don't care about you being a werewolf." Evangeline said sternly.

Lupin shed a small smile.

"Anyway, I'm not the person who should be making fun of people anyway. I've known how that feels since I have gotten back to school this year." Evangeline said.

"Evangeline, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm all ears." Lupin said.

"Well, what I don't like about it is the fact that most of the people here used to be friends to me, or would wave in the hallway. Now if they see me they either run away or just walk the other direction." She confessed.

"When I was a kid, I isolated myself. I figured no one would want to be my friend if they knew what I was. Then I met a bunch of stubborn gits. They wouldn't leave me alone until I actually talked to them. I was afraid of them finding out what I was, because we became best friends. I was afraid that they would just abandon me. When they found out, they didn't abandon me… in fact, they tried helping me out. So what I'm trying to say is, the ones who are running away from you aren't your true friends. The ones who stay by you throughout hardship and pain or overlook your flaws. That's the ones that you should care about." Lupin finished.

Evangeline smiled and hugged her professor. She needed someone to vent to, and Harry was dealing with too much things to be worried about her.

"Thank you. And you're right, My best friends did stick with me," She smiled, "along with some new friends." She added as she remembered Cho's friendliness earlier.

"You know, I was really close friends with your parents in school." Lupin added.

"Really? What was my mum like?" She asked happily.

"Well she was just like you, funny, huge temper, and she looked just like you, except with blond and blue eyes. You have your father's eyes." He said smiling until the last sentence.

He missed his old friends. He was the only one left of his childhood group, besides his wife.

"I have a picture of them you know? My mum and…" She trailed off.

"And Sirius?" Lupin finished for her.

"Yeah, it's in a locket, Hagrid gave it to me. He found it that night when…" She trailed off again not wanting to mention that night.

"Did you know that your mom made me your godfather?" Lupin asked out of the blue.

"What?" Evangeline asked a little shocked.

"I understand if you don't want me to be. I tried visiting you, but Dumbledore didn't tell me where you and Harry were. Also, I didn't think you would want me around considering my…condition."

"No, this is cool!" Evangeline smiled brightly for the first time that month. "I finally have some trace of family that actually wants me." Evangeline finished hugging her godfather.

Wait until she told Teddy!

"You had me scared for a second." Lupin smiled.

"Well I have to go Professor, I have my next class to go to." Evangeline said before getting up.

"What did he want?" Harry asked as she shut the door behind her.

"Oh, he just cheered me up and gave me some good advice." She said while laying her head on his shoulder. She had not done that for a couple of months.

"Glad to have you back." Harry smiled looking at her.

"Glad to be back." She smiled.

Harry was in a good mood. What with Evangeline's new attitude, the promise of anti-Dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear their mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, Harry's mood took a definite upturn..

Gryffindor was not out of the running after all, although they could not afford to lose another match. Wood became repossessed of his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Harry saw no hint of a Dementor within the grounds. Dumbledore's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances. Evangeline was doing better at Quidditch as well. She was throwing the Quaffle into the hoops left and right. She had her energy back, and was even planning a prank with the twins.

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Teddy even changed her hair to a bright red, and began to wear Christmas colors. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Ron, Teddy and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy, Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, Teddy said that her and her father were going to stay here, and her mum was just going to come here for the holidays. Harry and Evangeline weren't fooled. She knew they were staying to keep them company.

To everyone's delight except, Evangeline and Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

Resigned to the fact that he and Evangeline would be the only third years staying behind again, Harry borrowed a copy of Which Broomstick from Wood, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. He had been riding one of the school brooms at team practice, an ancient Shooting Star, which was very slow and jerky; he definitely needed a new broom of his own.

On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry and Evangeline bid good-bye to Ron, T eddy, and Hermione, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the marble staircase and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

"Psst — Harry! Evangeline!"

The two of them turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Fred and George peering out at them from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.

"What are you doing?" said Harry curiously.

"How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?" Evangeline asked.

"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go," said Fred, with a mysterious wink. "Come in here…"

He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Harry and Evangeline followed Fred and George inside. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at them.

"Early Christmas present for you," he said.

Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George's jokes, stared at it. Evangeline smiled, knowing what it was. The twins had shown her last year what it was. They might be going to Hogsmeade after all.

"What is that supposed to be?"

"This, Harry, is the secret of our success," said George, patting the parchment fondly.

"It's a wrench, giving it to you and Evangeline," said Fred, "but we decided last night, your needs are greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart," said George. "We bequeath it to you two. We don't really need it anymore."

"Evangeline already knows how to use it." Fred winked at her.

Evangeline rolled her eyes.

"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?" said Harry.

"Harry, that's more than a bit of old parchment," Evangeline reprimanded him.

"I can't believe he just said that!" Said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. "Explain, George."

"Well… when we were in our first year, Harry — young, carefree, and innocent —"

Evangeline snorted. She doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent.

" — well, more innocent than we are now — we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason —"

"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual —"

"— detention —"

"— disembowelment —"

"— and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"You saw that too! I was going to steal something from there but decided against it." Evangeline added.

"You should have stolen something from it!" George pouted.

"Anyway," Fred continued the story, "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, and I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed— this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes," said Fred, smirking. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding us up," said Harry, looking at the ragged old bit of parchment.

"Oh, are we?" said George.

He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

At once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

_Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. However, the truly remarkable things were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing.

Astounded, Harry bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Harry's eyes travelled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else.

This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead —

"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" — he pointed them out — "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in — completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly.

"They are my heroes." Evangeline added.

"Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it —"

"— or anyone can read it," Fred said warningly.

"Just tap it again and say, 'Mischief managed!' And it'll go blank."

"So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you behave yourself."

"You should behave yourself, Fred." Evangeline added.

Fred grabbed his chest in mock pain.

"George, she doesn't think that I can behave myself." He said.

George rolled his eyes at his twin.

"See you in Honeydukes," said George, winking.

They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way.

Harry, gazing at the miraculous map. They watched the tiny ink Mrs. Norris turn left and pause to sniff at something on the floor. If Filch really didn't know… he wouldn't have to pass the Dementors at all…

But even as he stood there, flooded with excitement, something Harry had once heard Mr. Weasley say came floating out of his memory.

_Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain._

This map was one of those dangerous magical objects Mr. Weasley had been warning against… Aids for Magical Mischief Makers… but then, Harry reasoned, he and Evangeline only wanted to use it to get into Hogsmeade, it wasn't as though they wanted to steal anything or attack anyone… and Fred and George had been using it for years without anything horrible happening…

Harry traced the secret passage to Honeydukes with his finger and the girls' eyes followed it.

Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, he rolled up the map, stuffed it inside his robes, and hurried to the door of the classroom, Evangeline following after him. He opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, he edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.

"What do we have to do?" Harry asked.

"I got this the twins told me loads of times about this door." Evangeline said taking out her wand.

"Dissendium!" She whispered, tapping the stone witch before Harry.

At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. Evangeline glanced at the map really quick before Harry tucked the map away again, hoisted himself into the hole headfirst, and pushed himself forward.

He slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. He stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark.

Evangeline slid down as well, running into Harry. She took out her wand and muttered "Lumos!"

Harry quickly followed in her suit. They were in a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. Evangeline lead the way remembering the way she went when she was with the twins. Harry raised the map, tapped it with the tip of his wand, and muttered, "Mischief managed!" The map went blank at once. He folded it carefully, tucked it inside his robes, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, he set off following Evangeline.

The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Evangeline was hoping she was going the right way. Harry hurried along after her, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding his wand out in front of him.

It took ages, but the two of them had the thought of Honeydukes to sustain them. After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Harry sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold. Evangeline was then very thankful for Oliver's intense practices, otherwise she'd have passed out a while ago.

Ten minutes later, they came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above them. Careful not to make any noise, they began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, he lost count as he climbed, watching his feet… then, without warning, his head hit something hard.

Evangeline laughed at his misfortune.

It seemed to be a trapdoor. Harry stood there, massaging the top of his head, listening. He couldn't hear any sounds above him. Very slowly, he pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.

He was in a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Harry climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it — it blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Harry grabbed Evangeline's hand and hauled her up. Harry crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs. Now he could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.

Wondering what he and Evangeline should do, he suddenly heard a door open much closer at hand; somebody was about to come downstairs.

"And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out —" said a woman's voice.

A pair of feet was coming down the staircase. Harry leapt behind an enormous crate and Evangeline hid behind another and they waited for the footsteps to pass. They heard the man shifting boxes against the opposite wall. He might not get another chance —

Quickly and silently, Harry and Evangeline dodged out from their hiding places and climbed the stairs; looking back, they saw an enormous backside and shiny bald head, buried in a box. Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, slipped through it, and found himself behind the counter of Honeydukes — he ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up and waited for his best friend.

Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that no one looked twice at them. They edged among them, looking around, and the two suppressed a laugh as they imagined the look that would spread over Dudley's piggy face if he could see where Harry and Evangeline were now.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-coloured toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavour Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' — sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-coloured bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.

Harry and Evangeline squeezed themselves through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron, Teddy, and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavoured lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them.

"Ugh, no, Harry and Evangeline won't want those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.

"Evangeline already told me that she only wanted Chocolate Frogs." Teddy added, her hair still a bright red.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," Harry and Evangeline chorused together.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione. "Evangeline! What are you doing here? How — how did you —?"

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"

"'Course we haven't," said Harry. He dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" said Ron, outraged. "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry and Evangeline aren't going to keep it!" said Hermione, as though the idea were ludicrous. "They're going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you?"

"I'm not! This is very useful. And anyways, it's not like we will do anything bad with it." Evangeline reasoned while Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"And if they turn it in, then they will have to explain where they've gotten it from. Then that would not only get them in trouble, but the twins as well." Teddy added.

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

Evangeline just ignored that, not wanting to be in a bad mood again.

"He can't be getting in through a passage," said Harry quickly. "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three — one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through — well — it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar — so unless he knew it was there —"

Harry hesitated. What if Black did know the passage was there? Teddy however, cleared her throat and pointed to a notice pasted on the inside of the sweetshop door.

_BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall._

_Happy Christmas!_

"See?" said Ron quietly. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"

"Yes, but — but —" Hermione seemed to be struggling to find another problem. "Look, Harry and Evangeline still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. They haven't got signed forms! If anyone finds out, they'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet — what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"

"He'd have a job spotting Harry and Evangeline in this," said Ron, nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow.

"Come on, Hermione. I know you are just worried about them, and trust me, we are too, but they deserve some time to themselves." Teddy reasoned.

Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried.

"Fine."

"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" said Ron, grabbing him and leading him over to their barrel. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven — it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick." Ron stared broodingly into the Acid Pop box. "Reckon Fred would take a bite of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?"

"Nope. Not if you hand them to him." Evangeline said.

"They might eat them if someone they wouldn't expect would prank them, though- someone like me." Teddy grinned mischievously.

When Ron, Teddy, and Hermione had paid for all their sweets, the five of them left Honeydukes for the blizzard outside.

Ron, Teddy, and Hermione began giving them a tour of Hogsmeade.

"That's the post office —"

"Zonko's is up there —"

"We could go up to the Shrieking Shack —"

"Tell you what," said Ron, his teeth chattering, "shall we go for a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"

They were all happy to agree. It was freezing, and unlike the other three, Harry and Evangeline didn't dress properly for the weather; they weren't expecting to be able to sneak into Hogsmeade.

It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar.

"That's Madam Rosmerta," said Ron. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?" he added, going slightly red. Evangeline and Teddy giggled at Ron's face. Hermione just rolled her eyes. They made their way to the back of the room, where there was a small, vacant table between the window and a handsome Christmas tree, which stood next to the fireplace. Ron came back five minutes later, carrying five foaming tankards of hot butterbeer.

"Happy Christmas!" he said happily, raising his tankard.

"Happy Christmas!" They all replied.

Harry drank deeply. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside.

Evangeline smiled in delight, and drank a big sip. The twins gave her a sample of it last year when she asked what it was.

A sudden breeze ruffled their hair. The door of the Three Broomsticks had opened again. Harry looked over the rim of his tankard and choked. Evangeline froze as she saw who the new arrivals were.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with a portly man in a lime-green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak — Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.

In an instant, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione had placed hands on the top of Harry and Evangeline's heads and forced them both under the table. Dripping with butterbeer and crouching out of sight, the two watched the teachers' and Fudge's feet moves toward the bar, pause, then turn and walk right toward them.

Somewhere above him, Hermione whispered, "Mobiliarbus!"

The Christmas tree beside their table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of their table, hiding them from view.

Staring through the dense lower branches, Harry saw four sets of chair legs move back from the table right beside theirs, then heard the grunts and sighs of the teachers and minister as they sat down.

Next they saw another pair of feet, wearing sparkly turquoise high heels, and heard a woman's voice.

"A small gillywater —"

"Mine," said Professor McGonagall's voice.

"Four pints of mulled mead —"

"Ta, Rosmerta," said Hagrid.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella —"

"Mmm!" said Professor Flitwick, smacking his lips.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister."

"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear," said Fudge's voice. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us…"

"Well, thank you very much, Minister."

Harry watched the glittering heels march away and back again. His heart was pounding uncomfortably in his throat. Why hadn't it occurred to him that this was the last weekend of term for the teachers too? And how long were they going to sit there? He and the other two needed time to sneak back into Honeydukes if they wanted to return to school tonight… Hermione's leg gave a nervous twitch next to him.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" came Madam Rosmerta's voice.

Harry saw the lower part of Fudge's thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice, "What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

Evangeline held her breath at that sentence.

"I did hear a rumor," admitted Madam Rosmerta.

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" said Professor McGonagall exasperatedly.

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly.

"You know that the Dementors have searched the whole village twice?" said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away… It's very bad for business, Minister."

"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution… unfortunate, but there you are… I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore — he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

"Hear, hear!" squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground.

"All the same," demurred Fudge, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse…We all know what Black's capable of…"

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought…I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

Evangeline looked down and held her legs close to her chest. She already knew her dad was a murderer, but there was something else? Something worse, no less?

"I certainly do," said Fudge.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here — ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk. Evangeline's jaw dropped.

"Precisely," said Professor McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course — exceptionally bright, in fact — but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers —"

"I dunno," chuckled Hagrid. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money. Evangeline could too." They got quiet at that.

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" chimed in Professor Flitwick. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry."

"Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Worse even than that, m'dear…" Fudge dropped his voice and proceeded in a sort of low rumble. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"An immensely complex spell," he said squeakily, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find — unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself… and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" gasped Madam Rosmerta.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?"

"He did," said Fudge heavily. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed —"

"Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.

Harry scooted away from Evangeline at that.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death.. He didn't count on his daughter and wife being there. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. He lost his family and his master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it —"

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

"Shh!" said Professor McGonagall.

"I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry and Evangeline from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got 'em outta the ruins, poor little things, with a great slash across Harry's forehead, an' their parents dead… an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do and ter mourn his wife. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.

"Hagrid, please!" said Professor McGonagall. "Keep your voice down!"

"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily, Natalie, an' James? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, 'Give Harry an' Evangeline ter me, Hagrid, I'm Harry's godfather an' Evangeline's father, I'll look after 'em —' Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry and Evangeline were ter go ter their aunt an' uncle's. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry an' Evangeline there. 'I won't need it anymore,' he says.

"I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn' he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he knew that Black had betrayed them. It never occurred ter me ter question why Dumbledore told me not ter give Evangeline ter Black. But now I know, 'cause Sirius Black was a traitor. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him.

"But what if I'd given Harry an' Evangeline to him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched 'em off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' an' his daughter! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to em anymore…"

A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Madam Rosmerta said with some satisfaction, "But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!"

"Alas, if only we had," said Fudge bitterly. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew — another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew… that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" said Madam Rosmerta.

"Hero-worshipped Black and Potter," said Professor McGonagall. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I — how I regret that now…" She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold.

"There, now, Minerva," said Fudge kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses — Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later — told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you? Natalie too, your own wife!' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens…"

Professor McGonagall blew her nose and said thickly, "Stupid boy… foolish boy… he was always hopeless at dueling… should have left it to the Ministry…"

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed around with wands — I'd 've ripped him limb — from — limb," Hagrid growled.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," said Fudge sharply. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I — I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him… a heap of bloodstained robes and a few — a few fragments —"

Fudge's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown.

"Well, there you have it, Rosmerta," said Fudge thickly. "Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh.

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?"

"I wish I could say that he was," said Fudge slowly. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man — cruel… pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them… but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored — asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him — and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" said Madam Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his — er — eventual plan," said Fudge evasively. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing… but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again…"

There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass.

"I just hope Harry isn't making the same mistake as his father did." Fudge said. "She is just like her father was at that age."

"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor McGonagall.

One by one, the feet disappeared. Harry looked at Ron, Teddy and Hermione, their faces filled with sympathy. Harry didn't spare Evangeline a glance before he got up and ran.

"Harry!" Evangeline cried before she ran after him.


	11. Chapter 11 part 1

Harry ran outside and kept running until he was sitting next to the fence of the Shrieking Shack. Evangeline ran after him. Teddy, Ron, and Hermione didn't run after them; they figured it was something they had to work out themselves.

"Harry!" Evangeline cried.

"What? What do you want? To betray me like your dad did to mine?" Harry yelled, rage swelling up inside him.

"Harry! You should know that I would never do something like that! My dad was a horrible person! That doesn't mean that I'll turn out just like him!" She yelled hurt.

"You heard them! They were inseparable just like we are now! What if the same thing happens to us?" Harry yelled angrily.

"Harry! Just because my dad is evil doesn't mean I am!" She screamed.

Harry shook his head and started to walk away.

"So that's it!? You are walking away! I've been your best friend since we were at the Dursleys! I've always had your back when Dudley tried hurting you!"

Harry just kept on walking not looking back at her. Truthfully, he wasn't angry at her; he wasn't angry at anyone; he was just angry at his life.

Evangeline cautiously walked up to him and touched his shoulder to turn him around.

"Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" He yelled.

Evangeline jumped and hid the tears that she wanted to shed. She felt like she was losing her best friend.

Harry walked away from her and didn't look back. He felt bad immediately, but didn't turn back. He headed back to Honeydukes to get back to the castle.

Evangeline sat down in the freezing snow, not caring that she wasn't wearing a jacket. For the first time in a long while, she began to cry. She didn't understand why her life was so unfair. She tried to be happy, but every time something happened to her to make her miserable. Her father wasn't even in her life, and he was ruining it. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face into her knees, trying to not let anyone else see her crying. She looked at her hands and she spotted something. It was the bracelet that she had gotten from Harry when they were eight. She frowned as she remembered that day.

"_Evangeline! Look what I found!" A scrawny boy with broken glasses ran up to her._

_He had a blackened eye, given to him by Dudley. Evangeline looked up from her doll. She found it in the street one day and it became her only toy she had ever gotten. Evangeline was tall for an eight year old. Her hair was cut short, Petunia said she had lice, but she knew that was a lie. Petunia hated her more than Harry for some reason, so she believed that she just wanted her to be made fun of._

"_What is it?" She looked up. _

_She had a bruise on her cheek. She punched Dudley in the face after he gave Harry the black eye. Of course at that time Dudley didn't care if he hit a girl or not, and punched her back. Of course Petunia saw. She punished Evangeline, saying she started it, and praised Dudley for standing up for himself._

"_I used that money I found on the street to buy these!" He said happily._

_He showed her the two matching bracelets._

"_They look so cool!" She said._

"_Here! I'll take this one, and you can have this one!" He said happily._

_They put on the matching bracelets._

"_I'm sorry for getting you into trouble." Harry apologized._

"_Harry, I should be thanking you. Because of you, I got to punch Dudley in the face!" She smiled._

"_So you aren't mad?" Harry asked shocked._

"_No Harry, we're best friends, it will take more than that to make me mad at you." _

"_Friends forever?"_

"_Always."_

Evangeline began to cry even more. She took the bracelet in her hands. She didn't want to be reminded of it. She threw it in a different direction not noticing where it went. She heard a bark. She looked up and saw a black, shaggy dog. It was malnourished, and looked like it was a stray. It was weird; she never saw a dog near Hogwarts before. The dog walked up to her. She saw something in its eye? Pity? Regret? She shook her head.

'_Don't be stupid. It's a dog.' She thought._

The dog stood next to where she was. It was like the dog could sense something was wrong. The dog lied next to her and put its head on her lap, looking at her. Evangeline petted his head and tried to stop her crying, unfortunately she didn't. She stayed there, for she didn't know how long. The dog stayed next to her not leaving her. She began to shiver. It was then she realized how cold it was, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Suddenly she felt something warm cover her shoulders. She looked up to see Fred. He took off his scarf and put that around her neck. It was then she realized how cold she really was.

Fred grabbed her hand and pulled her up. He brought her into a hug, not asking what was wrong.

He held her, while she rested her head on his chest. He didn't care that she was ruining his shirt with her tears. He also didn't care that he was freezing in the blizzard. They stayed like that for about five minutes until she was done crying.

"Thanks." Evangeline said wiping underneath her eyes.

Fred wiped a stray tear that was on her cheek with his thumb.

She looked over his shoulder to see that the dog had left. She turned back to look at him.

"Harry… He…" She tried to explain, but her voice broke off.

Fred shushed her and still held on to her, giving her the comfort she needed ever since she had gotten to Hogwarts this year. She tried to pretend that the rumors and the judging stares weren't upsetting her, but she knew it was worthless.

"Do you want me to bring you back to the castle?" He said looking into her eyes that were bloodshot from crying.

She just nodded her head.

He made sure she was bundled up in his jacket, which was too big for her, before putting her on his back, carrying her piggyback. Evangeline didn't pay attention to the looks people gave them as they approached HoneyDukes. She didn't care anymore. It didn't matter what they thought of her anymore.

She calmed herself down, and then at that moment she was grateful for what Fred was doing for her. When they finally reached the castle they found somewhere quiet and they both sat down.

"Thank you." Evangeline softly whispered.

"No problem, Princess." He smiled.

"Right now, I don't feel like a princess; more like an ugly step sister." She said frowning.

Fred looked confused at that.

"Oh, I forgot you know so little about the muggle world." She said laughing.

"I don't know what you are talking about, but the word ugly would never be used to describe you." He said forwardly.

Evangeline raised her eyebrow.

"Fred Weasley, are you flirting with me?"

"It depends. Is it working?" He said sending her his smile full of mischief.

"Do you want it to?" She asked raising her eyebrow.

Fred looked into her eyes, which were still a little red from crying earlier, they were still beautiful to her, just like she was.

He didn't answer, instead he leaned into her. Evangeline did too standing on the top of her toes so she would be able to reach him.

His lips met hers, in a slow, sweet kiss. It was a little awkward for Evangeline; it was her first kiss, and she had no idea what she was doing. She put her arms around his neck and played with his hair. He moved his hands around her waist and pulled her to himself. Fred lifted her off the ground and swayed her around. They broke off when they needed air.

Evangeline blushed and looked at the ground. Fred grabbed her hand and walked her to the Gryffindor common room. Once they got to the portrait he stopped looking at her.

"So, Evangeline, I'm going to ask this properly." Fred said sending her his signature smirk.

He got down on one knee still wearing his smile.

"You're not going to ask me to marry you, are you? Because I will punch you." Evangeline said looking at him.

"Well, I was going to at first, just to mess with you, but I decided against it. I'd end up with a bruised nose." He joked.

Evangeline rolled her eyes.

"So, Evangeline Natalie Black, would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He asked formally.

She shook her head at his idiocy and kissed his cheek.

"So, is that a yes?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, in case it wasn't obvious."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist my charm." He boasted.

"Yeah right, it's a good thing I don't like you because of your modesty." She said.

"Well, my lady, I'm off, I have to go set off dung bombs in a Slytherin's commonroom." He said grabbing her hand and kissing it, acting like she really was a princess.

"I need to start pranking again. I'm afraid I might have lost my touch." She said in mock worry.

"You? Never!" He smiled before giving her a short kiss, before going off to prank some Slytherins.

Evangeline rolled her eyes, and went to bed early.

She didn't hear when Teddy, Hermione, Lavender, or Parvati came in.

Harry was lying in bed trying to sleep, but failing to do so. He was too busy recalling the events that happened earlier.

Why had nobody ever told him? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, Cornelius Fudge… why hadn't anyone ever mentioned the fact that Harry's parents had died because their best friend had betrayed them?

Hermione, Teddy, and Ron, watched Harry nervously all through dinner that day, not daring to talk about what they'd overheard, because Percy was sitting close by them. All of them, minus Harry, were also watching the door, hoping Evangeline would walk through. She never missed dinner, which made them worried what happened between their two friends. When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs at a bunch of Slytherins in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. Harry, run up to the dormitory, not wanting to talk to anyone.

Harry sat up, and put on his glasses. He looked at his bedside table, pushing aside his books, he quickly found what he was looking for — the leather-bound photo album Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of wizard pictures of his mother and father. He sat down on his bed, drew the hangings around him, and started turning the pages, searching, until…

He stopped on a picture of his parents' wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there… that must be him. Their best man… Harry had never given him a thought before.

If he hadn't known it was the same person, he would never have guessed it was Black in this old photograph. His face wasn't sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. Evangeline did indeed look similar to him. There on the side of Sirius was a lady. She had a face just like Evangeline's except this woman had blue eyes instead of gray. It made him wonder so much at that point. Had he already been working for Voldemort when this picture had been taken? Was he already planning the deaths of the two people next to him? Did he intend on killing his wife, or did he not care? Did he aim to lose his only child? Did he realize he was facing twelve years in Azkaban, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable? But the Dementors don't affect him, Harry thought, staring into the handsome, laughing face. He doesn't have to hear his mum screaming if they get too close —

Harry slammed the album shut, reached over and stuffed it back into his cabinet, took off his robe and glasses and got into bed, making sure the hangings were hiding him from view.

The dormitory door opened.

"Harry?" said Ron's voice uncertainly.

But Harry lay still, pretending to be asleep. He heard Ron leave again, and rolled over on his back, his eyes wide open.

Hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison. He could see Black laughing at him through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over his eyes. He watched, as though somebody was playing him a piece of film, Sirius Black blasting Peter Pettigrew (who resembled Neville Longbottom) into a thousand pieces. He could hear (though having no idea what Black's voice might sound like) a low, excited mutter. "It has happened, My Lord… the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper…" and then came another voice, laughing shrilly, the same laugh that Harry heard inside his head whenever the Dementors drew near…

"He's asleep," Ron told the others as he came back downstairs.

"He's brooding again," Teddy sighed.

"I don't think Evangeline and Harry are on good terms." Hermione said nervously.

"What makes you say that?" Ron asked oblivious.

"Ron, you are ignorant as ever." Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"She didn't show up for dinner. She didn't come down to see Fred and George's prank. She wasn't trying to cheer him up." Teddy explained.

"So, what do we do?" Ron asked.

"We do nothing for now; it's none of our business." Hermione said firmly.

"But Hermione, what if this lasts longer than we expect it to? They've been best friends since diapers. I love them to death, but they are too stubborn for their own good. Both of them aren't likely to apologize." Teddy reasoned.

"Well, for right now, we can only try to push them in the right direction. We can only hope they make up soon." Hermione said firmly and stood up, turning to the girl's dormitory.

"Are you coming?" She asked looking at Teddy.

"I'll come a little later." She said.

Ron got up as well.

"Well I'm going to sleep, good night Teddy, Hermione." He said.

They both left and went to bed.

Teddy looked at the clock. It was ten, well past the time for them to be able to be out of their common rooms. They had an earlier curfew after what happened with Sirius Black. She decided that she needed to talk to her father.

She quietly tiptoed out of the common room. She never realized how creepy Hogwarts was at night. Luckily, she didn't pass by Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch, or anyone else that would give her detention for being out late.

She finally found her father's office and walked in, knowing her father wouldn't be sleeping, not this close to a full moon. She walked in, and her father looked surprised.

"Teddy Bear, what are you doing out so late?" He asked, taking his reading glasses off.

"Well, I need to ask you something." Teddy stated before sitting down.

"Is it true?" She said a few moments later.

Lupin looked confused. Before he could ask, she explained anyway.

"That Sirius was the reason for Harry's parents and Evangeline's mom's death?"

Lupin's face contorted in sadness.

"It's true…" He said sadly.

"Why didn't you say anything? Harry and Evangeline had the right to know. After all, this is about both of their parents." Teddy stated a little upset.

"They weren't ready to know. You must realize, Teddy, that you are all only thirteen, and still just a child. How would you take it if you found out your parent's death was caused by your best friend's father, when you yourself have other things to worry about besides this? Harry is tormented by the Dementors, while Evangeline is attacked by rumors all day." Lupin said strongly.

"You're right, it's just we all found out today. We all overheard the Minister of Magic talking about it today. I think it would have been better if they have been told by someone who knew what it felt losing someone close to them." Teddy said.

"Have I ever told you how proud I am of you?" Her father asked.

Teddy smiled, "Only every day."

"You've grown up so much since you first went to Hogwarts when you were eleven." Lupin smiled hugging his daughter.

"So am I not in trouble for sneaking out after dark?" Teddy asked smiling.

"Just this once, I'll let it slide. Now come on, I'll bring you to the common room." Lupin said before grabbing his daughter's hand.

He smiled as she reminded him so much of himself and his wife at that age.

"Come on old man, I'm not getting any younger." She joked as she noticed he wasn't turning to leave.

"I'm not that old." He said rolling his eyes.

"Keep telling yourself that."

...0

"Harry, you — you look terrible."

Harry hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. He had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Ron, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, Ron and Teddy, who were playing wizard chess and Hermione who had spread her homework over three tables.

"Where is everyone?" said Harry.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

"Where is Evangeline at? I owe her an apology." Harry said guilty.

"She left to say goodbye to Fred. I find it very awkward that she is dating my brother." Ron said while moving one of his pieces on the chess.

"Well, I think they are cute together." Hermione said while finishing some of her Potion's essay.

"Wait they are together? Since when?" Harry asked shocked.

Before Teddy could answer, someone else did.

"Yesterday, at Hogsmeade." Evangeline said bitterly.

The four of them looked up to see her in the portrait hole. Like Harry she didn't look like she had much sleep. Her usually well groomed hair was all over the place. Her sparkling grey eyes were dull.

"Evangeline I—"

"No. I understand perfectly, you want me to leave you alone. I'll comply." She said trying to walk past him.

"Look Evangeline, I—"

"Need time away from me?" She interrupted.

"No, and please stop cutting me off!" Harry said frustrated.

"Now you know how it feels to have someone not listening to what you have to say." She said.

"Look I'm trying to apologize, but you aren't making it easy." He said trying not to lose his temper again.

"Look you don't have to pretend you're sorry. We both know you still believe that I'm going to turn out just like my father. So I'll do you a favor and stay away." She said, and with that, she left.

The room filled with tension. Teddy, Hermione, and Ron didn't know what to do. They didn't want to take sides so they just stayed there.

"See I'm trying, but she won't accept my apology." Harry said irritated.

"You really hurt her." Teddy said, making all of them look at her. "You completely forgot the things she has done for you, and acted like she was… Malfoy. You made her the enemy. I know you want to apologize, but you have to do better than that." She said.

"So it's clear whose side you've taken." Harry said bitterly.

"I haven't taken any side." She replied irritably. "She has also done wrong as well. However, knowing Evangeline, she is too stubborn to make amends. You need to do something that reminds her of the good times you've had together."

They were all quiet after that.

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said studying his face.

"I'm fine," said Harry.

"Harry, listen," Hermione continued, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything…stupid."

"Like what?" said Harry. "I've already made Evangeline upset."

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply.

Harry could tell they had rehearsed this conversation while he had been asleep. He didn't say anything.

"You won't, will you, Harry?" said Teddy. "Because Black's not worth dying for."

Harry looked at the others. They didn't seem to understand at all.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?"

Ron, Teddy, and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive.

"I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her —"

"There's nothing you can do!" said Hermione, looking stricken.

"The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and — and serve him right!" Teddy added.

"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others."

"So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to — to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione in a panicky voice. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?"

Harry didn't say anything. He didn't know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Black was at liberty, was almost more than he could stand.

"Malfoy knows," he said abruptly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself… I'd want revenge.'"

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" said Ron furiously. "Listen… you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me — the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous —"

"Malfoy's dad must have told him," said Harry, ignoring Ron. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle —"

"Say You-Know-Who, will you?" interjected Ron angrily.

Teddy rolled her eyes.

"— so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort —"

"— and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch."

"Harry, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, "Please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants… Oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"

"I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them," said Harry shortly.

There was a silence in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered.

"Look," said Ron, obviously casting around for a change of subject, "it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's — let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!"

"No!" said Hermione quickly. "Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle, Ron."

Teddy interjected. "Plus, it's not the same without—"

"Yeah, let's go," said Harry, sitting up, "and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me about our parents!"

Further discussion of Sirius Black plainly wasn't what Ron had had in mind.

"Or we could have a game of chess," he said hastily, "or Gobstones. I know you got a set from Teddy —"

"No, let's visit Hagrid," said Harry firmly.

So they got their cloaks from their dormitories and set off through the portrait hole ("Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!"), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors.

They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, their socks and the hems of their cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake.

Ron knocked, but there was no answer.

"He's not out, is he?" said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak.

Ron had his ear to the door.

"There's a weird noise," he said. "Listen — is that Fang?"

Harry, Teddy, and Hermione put their ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.

"Do you think we should go get help?" Teddy asked.

"Hagrid!" called Harry, thumping the door.

There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.

"You've heard?" he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck. The others wisely stepped out of his reach.

Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron, Teddy, and Hermione, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard.

"Hagrid, what is it?" said Hermione, aghast.

Harry spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table.

Hagrid's sobs redoubled, but he shoved the letter toward the four of them. Teddy was the closest to the letter so she picked it up and read it out loud:

_Dear Mr. Hagrid,_

_Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident._

"Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!" said Ron, clapping Hagrid on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and waved one of his gigantic hands, inviting Teddy to read on.

_However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated._

_Yours in fellowship…_

There followed a list of the school governors.

"Oh," said Ron. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off."

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"

A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made Harry, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione whip around. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.

"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" choked Hagrid. "All on his own! At Christmas."

Harry, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione looked at one another. They had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called 'interesting creatures' and other people called 'terrifying monsters.' On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute.

"You'll have to put up a good strong defence, Hagrid," said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm.

"Do some good research, and you could save him." Teddy added.

"Won' make no diff'rence!" sobbed Hagrid. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! An' if I lose the case, Buckbeak —"

Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms.

"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"He's done more'n enough fer me already," groaned Hagrid. "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around."

The other three looked quickly at Harry, as though expecting him to start berating Hagrid for not telling him the truth about Black. But Harry couldn't bring himself to do it, not now that he saw Hagrid so miserable and scared.

"Listen, Hagrid," he said, "you can't give up. Hermione's right, you just need a good defence. You can call us as witnesses —"

"I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting," said Hermione thoughtfully, "where the Hippogriff got off.

"We'll look it up and add some notes for you." Teddy added.

Hagrid howled still more loudly. The others looked at Ron to help them.

"Er — shall I make a cup of tea?" said Ron.

They all stared at him weirdly.

"It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," Ron muttered, shrugging.

At last, after many more assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together…"

Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee.

"I've not bin meself lately," said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes —"

"We do like them!" lied Hermione at once.

"Yeah, they're great!" said Ron, crossing his fingers under the table.

"An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks.'S like bein' back in Azkaban —"

He fell silent, gulping his tea. The four Gryffindors watched him breathlessly. They had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before. After a pause, Hermione said timidly, "Is it awful in there, Hagrid?"

"Yeh've no idea," said Hagrid quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind… the day I got expelled from Hogwarts… day me dad died… day I had ter let Norbert go…"

"Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep. When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

"But you were innocent!" said Hermione.

Hagrid snorted.

"Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not." They all had identical disgusted looks on their faces.

Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go… tryin' ter make him fly away… but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An' — an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law…" He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

After a while he noticed something.

"Where's Evangeline?" He asked still sipping tea.

"She stayed in the castle." Harry said. It was true, after all. Harry just hadn't told Hagrid all the details.

None of them said anything after that.The trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect the others had hoped. Though Harry had by no means forgotten about Black, he couldn't brood constantly on revenge if he wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. He, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defence for Buckbeak. The four of them sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant.

"Here's something… there was a case in 1722… but the Hippogriff was convicted — ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting —"

"This might help, look — a Manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the Manticore off — oh — no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it…"

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.

Evangeline decided that she shouldn't stay in her room. She needed to go somewhere. She then remembered the map that she and Harry were supposed to share.

'I'm sure he wouldn't notice if I took it for today' she thought before going up to the third year's boy's dorm.

She took out the map and pointed it at the map.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She said.

She looked at the map to see who was still in the castle.

"Maybe I can just go walking around." She said to herself.

She whispered, "Mischief Managed," before putting the map in her robe pocket.

She decided to walk to the kitchen. As she was on her way, she ran into someone.

"I'm so sorry." Evangeline said holding her hand out to the person she ran into.

That person happened to be Cho Chang.

"Oh, hey Cho." She said pulling her up to her feet.

"Hey, Evangeline." She said.

"You didn't leave for the holidays?" Evangeline asked.

"No, my parents are in America, for a business trip, so I just stayed here." She explained.

"Oh, well, do you want to do something fun?" She asked her.

"What?" Cho asked curiously.

"Well, we could prank Snape… or as I like to call him, Grease Monkey." Evangeline suggested.

"Okay… do you have a plan?" she asked.

"Oh, Cho…. so naïve," She said jokingly, "I always have a plan."


	12. Chapter 11 part 2

On Christmas morning, Harry was woken by Ron throwing his pillow at him.

"Oi! Presents!"

It felt odd not having Evangeline jumping up and down no his bed, yelling for him to get up.

Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents.

"Another sweater from Mum… maroon again… see if you've got one."

Harry had. Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. As he moved all these things aside, he saw a long, thin package lying underneath.

"What's that?" said Ron, looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand.

"Dunno…"

Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread. Ron dropped his socks and jumped off his bed for a closer look.

"I don't believe it," he said hoarsely.

It was a Firebolt, identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

"Who sent it to you?" said Ron in a hushed voice.

"Look and see if there's a card," said Harry.

Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings.

"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?"

"Well," said Harry, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."

"I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously…"

"That was my dad's, though," said Harry. "Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this —"

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism. Hey, Harry —" Ron gave a great whoop of laughter — "Malfoy! Wait 'til he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an international standard broom, this is!"

"I can't believe this," Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry's bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. "Who—?"

"I know," said Ron, controlling himself, "I know who it could've been — Lupin!"

"What?" said Harry, "Lupin? If he had that much gold I doubt he spend it on me, after all he has Teddy and a wife.

"Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you —"

"What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when I was playing in that match."

"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"

Harry frowned at Ron.

"I can't see Lupin affording something like this."

"What're you two laughing about?"

Teddy and Hermione had just come in, wearing their dressing gowns and Hermione carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck.

"Don't bring him in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket.

Hermione dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt.

"Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?" Teddy asked as her jaw dropped

"No idea," said Harry. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."

To his great surprise, Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"

Ron sighed exasperatedly.

"It's the best broom there is, Hermione," he said.

"So it must've been really expensive…"

"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Teddy happily.

"Well… who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?" said Hermione.

"Who cares?" said Ron impatiently. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.

The others looked at her.

"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it — sweep the floor?" said Ron.

However, before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest.

"GET — HIM — OUT — OF — HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed, knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain.

Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny, whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor.

"I forgot about that!" Harry said, bending down and picking up the Sneakoscope. "I never wear those socks if I can help it…"

The Sneakoscope whirled and whistled in his palm. Crookshanks was hissing and spitting at it.

"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," said Ron furiously, sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe. "Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room, Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron.

Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside the socks and threw it back into his trunk. All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage. Scabbers was huddled in Ron's hands. It had been a while since Harry had seen him out of Ron's pocket, and he was unpleasantly surprised to see that Scabbers, once so fat, was now very skinny; patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too.

"He's not looking too good, is he?" Harry said.

"It is stress!" said Ron. "He'd be fine if that big stupid fur ball left him alone!"

Harry remembered what the woman at the Magical Menagerie had said about rats living only three years, couldn't help feeling that unless Scabbers had powers he had never revealed, he was reaching the end of his life. Despite Ron's frequent complaints that Scabbers was both boring and useless, Harry was sure Ron would be very miserable if Scabbers died.

Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him; Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers; Teddy tried staying out of it; Harry gave up trying to make Ron and Hermione talk to each other and devoted himself to examining the Firebolt, which he had brought down to the common room with him. For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking darkly at the broom as though it too had been criticizing her cat.

Evangeline woke up way before most of the other Gryffindors that stayed here. Cho invited her to open her presents with her. She wanted to avoid seeing Harry, as well as the rest of her best friends at the moment.

Cho was waiting for her on the other side of the common room. The Ravenclaw's password wasn't a password. It was a riddle, you had to guess it or wait for someone else to guess it. It changes every time.

"When you have me, you feel like sharing me. But, if you do share me, you don't have me. What am I?" The portrait said.

"Oh that's an easy one. A secret." Cho answered.

The portrait nodded and opened.

The common room was empty.

"I'm the only person in Ravenclaw who stayed here." She said.

"Well at least you have peace and quiet." Evangeline said.

"Let's go open presents!" Cho said excitedly.

Cho had a few presents. She had a new cute outfit from her parents. It was a pink top, a black skirt, and she had pink shoes to match. She also was sent a few galleons from her parents as well to last her the rest of the year. A few of her friends sent her candy. She also got a broom servicing kit, and the book: _Quiddich Around the Ages. _

Evangeline got a few presents as well. She got a few chocolate frogs from Ron; Hermione sent another book to her; Teddy sent her a new cage for Shadow, since Evangeline had been complaining since last year about how broken the cage is, after it hit the whopping willow. Seamus had sent a galleon, saying he didn't have time to buy her a present, so she should buy whatever she wanted with it. Dean bought her a teddy bear, which she admitted was sort of cute. She wasn't surprised when she saw that Harry didn't send anything to her. Now she was happy she decided against giving him a Christmas present. Lastly Mrs. Weasley sent her a Weasley sweater that was black, with an Emerald E in the middle. Ignoring the fact that it was Slytherin colors, she put it on. Fred sent her a homemade necklace. It wasn't the best looking thing in the world, but it made her smile. She put it around her neck as well.

"So what's this plan again?" Cho asked after they were both done opening presents.

"It isn't a prank; it is more of spreading Christmas joy." Evangeline stated.

Cho looked at her silently telling her to continue.

"Well I already talked to the house elves in the kitchen and they decided to make a turkey, ham, and chicken. For desert their making soft cookies, ice cream, and cheese cake. In return I just have to visit them more often."

"Is that it?" Cho asked.

"Honey I'm Evangeline, of course that's not it."

Cho rolled her eyes at that.

"I also I found this spell that makes the walls in the castle change colours. I put the whole school red and white, because I refuse to put it Slytherin colours. Lastly I made presents for all the Professors… even Snape." She said finished.

"Well what do I have to do?" She asked.

"Well the spell requires more than one person." Evangeline explained.

At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick, there was only one other student from Hufflepuff there.

"Happy Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, Teddy, and Hermione approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables… Sit down, sit down!"

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Harry, remembering the Boggart, caught Ron and Teddy's eyes and they grinned; Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.

The food appeared: A pile full of chicken legs, a large ham and Turkey already carved, roast potatoes and a bunch of different desserts.

"This isn't the food I wanted for today… nevertheless, it was better than the original I had earlier." Dumbledore said curiously.

Evangeline and Cho walked in and said a spell that lighted up the room.

The Great Hall's walls were changed into Christmas colors.

"I hope you don't mind professor but this was my doing. Cho helped though, we wanted to spread Christmas joy." Evangeline said.

Cho handed the professors all presents.

"On the behalf of all the students at Hogwarts." Cho announced.

Evangeline and Cho sat down next to Teddy and Hermione.

As Harry was helping himself to roast potatoes and Teddy was cutting up some turkey, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.

"Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair —"

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

Evangeline began hitting her head on the table. Teddy rolled her eyes.

"We'll risk it, Sybill," said Professor McGonagall impatiently. "Do sit down; the turkey is getting stone cold."

Professor Trelawney hesitated, lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

"Tripe, Sybill?" Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

Teddy looked down at that. Hermione and Evangeline rubbed her shoulder.

"But surely you already knew that, Sybill?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.

Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.

"Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly.

Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.

"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him —"

"Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly.

"I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape.

"Good," said Dumbledore. "Then he should be up and about in no time… Evangeline thank you for putting this together for us."

Evangeline shock her head, "Cho helped too."

"She did all of most of the work though." Cho said.

Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their cracker hats, Harry, Ron, Evangeline, Teddy, and Cho stood up.

"My dears! Which of you left their seat first? Which?"

"Dunno," said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry. The girls shrugged.

"I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall."

Even Ron laughed. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted.

"Coming?" Harry said to Hermione.

"No," Hermione muttered. "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall

"Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes," yawned Ron as they make their way into the Entrance Hall.

"Wait!" Evangeline yelled

"What?" Harry asked worried.

"Guys can I speak to Harry?" She said.

"Come on guys." Ron said motioning to them, "we will see you in the common room."

They left and it suddenly got very quiet in the entrance hall.

"Harry?" Evangeline was the first to look up.

"I'm sorry for what I said; I was upset and you were the person right there. I just took my anger out on you. I know you wouldn't do anything like that." Harry finished before she could but in.

"I should have taken your apology earlier, not ignore you, but I felt like you deserved it at that point. I just didn't understand why you'd think I'd do that to you. I've protected you since… since we were in diapers; you've protected me as well. Plus I consider you as my only family right now, besides Lupin, but he is ill right now." Evangeline said softly.

"Wait… Lupin?" He asked confused.

"Oh right I forgot to tell you… Lupin is my godfather." She said.

She looked at her arm and panicked.

"Harry! Our bracelets! I threw mine the other day in Hogsmeade!" She said upset.

She kept it for this long and know she lost it for good.

"Here take mine… you deserve it more than me." He said taking it off.

"No!" She yelled stopping him in the process.

"No it is yours, I'm sure you just can buy me something to make it up to me." Evangeline joked.

"I did get you a present… I just didn't know how you'd react if you got it this morning." He said.

"I got you one too." She said.

"Now can we talk about the Fred thing?" Harry asked.

Evangeline rolled her eyes before grabbing his hand.

"Come on boy wonder, let's get back to the common room."

When they reached the portrait hole they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas part with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor toasted them with a flagon of mead.

"Happy — hic — Christmas! Password?"

"Scurvy cur," said Harry.

"And the same to you, sir!" roared Sir Cadogan, as the painting swung forward to admit them.

Harry went straight up to the dormitory, collected his Firebolt and the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his birthday, brought them downstairs and tried to find something to do with the Firebolt; however, there were no bent twigs to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. He showed it to Evangeline and she immediately admired it from every angle, Harry and Ron joining in too, until the portrait hole opened, and Hermione came in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Teddy looked up from the book she was reading to see what was going on.

Though Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, Harry had only seen her in the common room once before, and that had been to make a very grave announcement. He, Evangeline, and Ron stared at her, all three holding the Firebolt. Hermione walked around them, sat down, picked up the nearest book and hid her face behind it.

"So that's it, is it?" said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter."

Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione. They could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside-down.

"May I?" said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of their hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," said Harry blankly.

"I see…" said Professor McGonagall."Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."

"W — what?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"

"It will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down —"

"Strip it down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."

"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor —"

"You can't know that, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.

"What did you go running to McGonagall for?"

Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.

"Because I thought — and Professor McGonagall agrees with me — that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve The Patronus

Harry knew that Hermione had meant well, but that didn't stop him from being angry with her. He had been the owner of the best broom in the world for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, he didn't know whether he would ever see it again. He was positive that there was nothing wrong with the Firebolt now, but what sort of state would it be in once it had been subjected to all sorts of anti-jinx tests?

Ron was furious with Hermione too. As far as he was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage. Hermione, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room. Harry and Ron supposed she had taken refuge in the library and didn't try to persuade her to come back.

Teddy totally agreed with Hermione in that situation. She felt that if it was sent by Sirius Black that it was better to be safe than sorry if it was cursed. Of course the boys were upset with her as well and she joined Hermione in the library, keeping her company.

Evangeline, on the other hand, was stuck in the middle. She didn't blame Hermione, because she just had wanted Harry to be safe. Evangeline was also worried about his safety as well. But as a Quidditch player she was also upset that their one chance to beat the Slytherins was probably gone now that Harry doesn't have a decent broom. They had a small chance in beating Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, seeing as Harry was a better seeker than the ones on their team. But Slytherin had the advantage of them all having fast brooms. She also wished she could have seen the Firebolt in action before it had gotten taken away.

All in all, they were glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Gryffindor Tower became crowded and noisy again.

Evangeline was helping Harry with potions homework, while he was helping her with defense. Ron was sitting in the chair next to them not doing much of anything. Teddy and Hermione were most likely in the library. Oliver Wood suddenly walked into the common room. He walked straight up to them, but was only looking at Harry.

"Had a good Christmas?" he said, and then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down, lowered his voice, and said, "I've been, doing some thinking over Christmas, Harry. After last match, you know. If the Dementors come to the next one… I mean… we can't afford you to — well —"

Wood broke off, looking awkward.

"I'm working on it," said Harry quickly. "Professor Lupin said he'd train me to ward off the Dementors. We should be starting this week. He said he'd have time after Christmas."

"Ah," said Wood, his expression clearing. "Well, in that case — I really didn't want to lose you as Seeker, Harry. And have you ordered a new broom yet?"

"No," said Harry.

"What! You'd better get a move on, you know — you can't ride that Shooting Star against Ravenclaw!"

"He got a Firebolt for Christmas," said Ron.

"A Firebolt? No! Seriously? A — a real Firebolt?"

"Don't get excited, Oliver," said Harry gloomily. "I haven't got it anymore. It was confiscated." And he explained all about how the Firebolt was now being checked for jinxes.

"Jinxed? How could it be jinxed?"

"Sirius Black," Harry said wearily. "He's supposed to be after me. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent it."

Waving aside the information that a famous murderer was after his Seeker, Wood said, "But Black couldn't have bought a Firebolt! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout for him! How could he just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick?"

"I know," said Harry, "but McGonagall still wants to strip it down —"

Wood went pale.

"I'll go and talk to her, Harry," he promised. "I'll make her see reason… A Firebolt… a real Firebolt, on our team… She wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do… I'll make her see sense. A Firebolt…"

Evangeline rolled her eyes at that. How she even had a crush on Oliver, she'd never know.

"It was like he didn't care that Black was after you." Evangeline said a slightly irritated.

The whole school knew by that time of Fred and Evangeline's relationship. It was news for a few days, but it faded away after awhile. Evangeline spent more time with the twins and got plenty of pranking done. (Malfoy's hair had been purple for a few days, while Pansy Parkinson was charmed to dance like a ballerina for a week.)

The term just started, the last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs. The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.

It was Defense Against the Dark Arts that Harry was keen to get to; after his conversation with Wood, he wanted to get started on his anti-Dementor lessons as soon as possible.

"Ah yes," said Lupin, when Harry reminded him of his promise at the end of class. "Let me see… how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough… I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this… We can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on…"

"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as they walked down the corridor, heading to dinner.

"Not many people get over sickness that fast. Teddy is sickly too, so it's probably just a thing with genetics." Evangeline said trying to cover the secret for both Lupins. Teddy should tell the group of friends already, but she made a promise and she wasn't going to break her friend's trust.

Ron however wasn't satisfied with her reasoning and instead continued, "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"

There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close. Teddy was helping her pick up some of the books that fell out of her bag. Teddy was pale, and looked sickly just like her father did, but it was to a less degree. At least Evangeline knew why, so she could help cover for her.

"And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.

"Nothing," said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were," said Ron. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you —"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.

_Did she know?_ Evangeline thought in her head. Evangeline gave Teddy a look, silently asking the question. She nodded her head yes, confirming it.

"She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."

"Whatever you say Ron, but I'm telling you the truth; it's a genetic thing." Evangeline said. She wasn't technically, fully lying, as it was a genetic thing that made Teddy sick all the time, although it was completely different for Lupin.

Teddy silently thanked her by giving her a grateful face and followed after Hermione.

At eight o'clock on Thursday evening, Harry left Gryffindor Tower for the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and empty when he arrived, but he lit the lamps with his wand and had waited only five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto Professor Binn's desk.

"What's that?" said Harry.

"Another Boggart," said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Okay," said Harry, trying to sound as though he wasn't apprehensive at all and merely glad that Lupin had found such a good substitute for a real Dementor.

"So…" Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same. "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry — well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" said Harry nervously.

"Well, when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-Dementor — a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor."

Harry had a sudden vision of himself crouching behind a Hagrid-sized figure holding a large club.

Professor Lupin continued, "The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" said Harry curiously.

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

Harry cast his mind about for a happy memory. Certainly, nothing that had happened to him at the Dursleys' was going to do. Finally, he settled on the moment when he had first ridden a broomstick.

"Right," he said, trying to recall as exactly as possible the wonderful, soaring sensation of his stomach.

"The incantation is this —" Lupin cleared his throat. "Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto patronum," Harry repeated under his breath, "expecto patronum."

"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"

"Oh — yeah —" said Harry, quickly forcing his thoughts back to that first broom ride. "Expecto patrono — no, patronum — sorry — expecto patronum, expecto patronum"

Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas.

"Did you see that?" said Harry excitedly. "Something happened!"

"Very good," said Lupin, smiling. "Right, then — ready to try it on a Dementor?"

"Yes," Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom. He tried to keep his mind on flying, but something else kept intruding… Any second now, he might hear his mother again… but he shouldn't think that, or he would hear her again, and he didn't want to… or did he?

Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.

A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over him —

"Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto —"

But the classroom and the Dementor were dissolving… Harry was falling again through thick white fog, and his mother's voice was louder than ever, echoing inside his head — "Not Harry! Not Harry! Please — I'll do anything —"

"Stand aside — stand aside, girl —"

"Harry!"

Harry jerked back to life. He was lying flat on his back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.

"Sorry," he muttered, sitting up and feeling cold sweat trickling down behind his glasses.

"Are you all right?" said Lupin.

"Yes…"

Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.

"Here —" Lupin handed him a Chocolate Frog. "Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded if you had."

"It's getting worse," Harry muttered, biting off the Frog's head. "I could hear her louder that time — and him — Voldemort —"

Lupin looked paler than usual.

"Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand —"

"I do!" said Harry fiercely, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. "I've got to! What if the Dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!"

"All right then…" said Lupin."You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on… That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough…"

Harry thought hard and decided his feelings when Gryffindor had won the House Championship last year had definitely qualified as very happy.

He gripped his wand tightly again and took up his position in the middle of the classroom.

"Ready?" said Lupin, gripping the box lid.

"Ready," said Harry; trying hard to fill his head with happy thoughts about Gryffindor winning, and not dark thoughts about what was going to happen when the box opened.

"Go!" said Lupin, pulling off the lid. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided forward, drawing its breath; one rotting hand was extending toward Harry —

"Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto Pat —"

White fog obscured his senses… big, blurred shapes were moving around him… then came a new voice, a man's voice, shouting, panicking —

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off —"

The sounds of someone stumbling from a room — a door bursting open — a cackle of high- pitched laughter —

"Harry! Harry… wake up…"

Lupin was tapping Harry hard on the face. This time it was a minute before Harry understood why he was lying on a dusty classroom floor.

"I heard my dad," Harry mumbled. "That's the first time I've ever heard him — he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it…"

Harry suddenly realized that there were tears on his face mingling with the sweat. He bent his face as low as possible, wiping them off on his robes, pretending to do up his shoelace, so that Lupin wouldn't see.

"You heard James?" said Lupin in a strange voice.

"Yeah…" Face dry, Harry looked up. "Why — you didn't know my dad, did you?"

"I — I did, as a matter of fact," said Lupin. "We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry — perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced… I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this…"

"No!" said Harry. He got up again. "I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is… hang on…"

He racked his brains. A really, really happy memory… one that he could turn into a good, strong Patronus…

The moment when he'd first found out he and Evangeline were a witch and wizard… that they'd finally get to be away from his aunt and uncle.

Concentrating very hard on how he had felt when he'd realized they'd be leaving Privet Drive together, Harry got to his feet and faced the packing case once more.

"Ready?" said Lupin, who looked as though he were doing this against his better judgment.

"Concentrating hard? All right — go!"

He pulled off the lid of the case for the third time, and the Dementor rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark —

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed. "EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The screaming inside Harry's head had started again — except this time, it sounded as though it were coming from a badly tuned radio — softer and louder and softer again… and he could still see the Dementor… it had halted… and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand, to hover between him and the Dementor, and though Harry's legs felt like water, he was still on his feet — though for how much longer, he wasn't sure…

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward.

There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the Dementor; he sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted as if he'd just run a mile, and felt his legs shaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Lupin forcing the Boggart back into the packing case with his wand; it had turned into a silvery orb again.

"Excellent!" Lupin said, striding over to where Harry sat. "Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!"

"Can we have another go? Just one more go?"

"Not now," said Lupin firmly. "You've had enough for one night. Here —"

He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate.

"Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?"

"Okay," said Harry. He took a bite of the chocolate and watched Lupin extinguishing the lamps that had rekindled with the disappearance of the Dementor. A thought had just occurred to him.

"Professor Lupin?" he said. "If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well."

Lupin turned very quickly.

"What gives you that idea?" he said sharply.

"Nothing — I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too…"

Lupin's face relaxed.

"Yes, I knew him," he said shortly. "Or I thought I did. You'd better be off, Harry, it's getting late."

"Is it true that Evangeline acts just like he did in school?" Harry asked curious.

"Harry, Evangeline is her own person, and makes her own decisions. And so far… I don't see her betraying you, let alone any of her other friends." Lupin said strongly.

Harry smiled, he would have been her friend either way Lupin had responded about her. It was nice that finally some one thought that he wasn't making a mistake about being friends with her.

"Well I'll be off, Professor."Harry left the classroom, walking along the corridor and around a corner, then took a detour behind a suit of armor and sank down on its plinth to finish his chocolate, wishing he hadn't mentioned Black, as Lupin was obviously not keen on the subject. Then Harry's thoughts wandered back to his mother and father…

He felt drained and strangely empty, even though he was so full of chocolate. Terrible though it was to hear his parents' last moments replayed inside his head, these were the only times Harry had heard their voices since he was a very small child. But he'd never be able to produce a proper Patronus if he half wanted to hear his parents again…

"They're dead," he told himself sternly. "They're dead and listening to echoes of them won't bring them back. You'd better get a grip on yourself if you want that Quidditch Cup."

He stood up, crammed the last bit of chocolate into his mouth, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

Evangeline walked in hand in hand with Fred. Evangeline saw the stress on her brother's face.

"Fred, I have to speak to Harry." She said.

Fred nodded his head and gave her a short kiss, before going over to George and Lee, who looked to be up to no good, as usual.

She walked up to Harry and sat down next to him.

She wanted to ask but decided against it. She sat down and hugged him, trying to give him the comfort he needed.

Harry gave her a small smile. Evangeline grabbed his hand and squeezed it before letting go.

"It was the Dementor lessons, wasn't it?" She said

He just nodded his head, trying not to remember the memories.

"I know I'm not affected by them as much as you are… but you can talk about it to me if you want. I won't force you to… but you seem like you need someone to vent to." She continued.

Harry reluctantly nodded and thought about it. Evangeline noticed the look he had and felt like he wasn't ready to tell her.

"It's fine, you know. Just come find me if you want to talk to someone… or better yet, maybe Dumbledore can help you." She said trying to give him advice.

"I don't want to disturb Dumbledore, he has enough problems, than to worry about me." Harry stated.

Evangeline hugged him, and decided it was probably better to leave him with his thoughts, and to sleep on it. She got up and told him good night. She was about to go to the dorm to go to sleep, when Harry stopped her.

" Evangeline, I'm sorry about the way I've treated you this Christmas. I've been I right foul git and I'm sorry." Harry said.

"Harry, I've already forgiven you for that. You have nothing to apologize for anymore." She said rolling her eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I need my beauty rest, and from the looks of it, you need some rest too."

Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of term. Slytherin won, though narrowly. According to Wood, this was good news for Gryffindor, who would take second place if they beat Ravenclaw too. He therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week. This meant that with Lupin's anti-Dementor classes, which in themselves were more draining than six Quidditch practices, Harry had just one night a week to do all his homework.

Even so, he was not showing the strain nearly as much as Hermione, whose immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her. Every night, without fail, Hermione was to be seen in a corner of the common room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted.

"How's she doing it?" Ron muttered to Harry one evening as Harry sat finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape. Harry looked up. Hermione was barely visible behind a tottering pile of books.

Harry didn't have time to fathom the mystery of Hermione's impossible schedule at the moment; he really needed to get on with Snape's essay. Two seconds later, however, he was interrupted again, this time by Wood.

"Bad news, Harry. I've just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She — er — got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch first." Wood shook his head in disbelief. "Honestly, the way she was yelling at me… you'd think I'd said something terrible. Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it…" He screwed up his face and imitated Professor McGonagall's severe voice. "As long as necessary, Wood"… I reckon it's time you ordered a new broom, Harry. There's an order form at the back of Which Broomstick… you could get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, like Malfoy's got."

"I'm not buying anything Malfoy thinks is good," said Harry flatly.

January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. The match against Ravenclaw was drawing nearer and nearer, but Harry still hadn't ordered a new broom. He was now asking Professor McGonagall for news of the Firebolt after every Transfiguration lesson, Ron standing hopefully at his shoulder, Teddy and Hermione rushing past with their faces averted.

"No, Potter, you can't have it back yet," Professor McGonagall told him the twelfth time this happened, before he'd even opened his mouth. "We've checked for most of the usual curses, but Professor Flitwick believes the broom might be carrying a Hurling Hex. I shall tell you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me."

To make matters even worse, Harry's anti-Dementor lessons were not going nearly as well as he had hoped. Several sessions on, he was able to produce an indistinct, silvery shadow every time the Boggart-Dementor approached him,but his Patronus was too feeble to drive the Dementor away. All it did was hover, like a semitransparent cloud, draining Harry of energy as he fought to keep it there. Harry felt angry with himself, guilty about his secret desire to hear his parents' voices again.

"You're expecting too much of yourself," said Professor Lupin, sternly in their fourth week of practice. "For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?"

"I thought a Patronus would — charge the Dementors down or something," said Harry dispiritedly. "Make them disappear —"

"The true Patronus does do that," said Lupin. "But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the Dementors put in an appearance at your next Quidditch match, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground."

"You said it's harder if there are loads of them," said Harry.

"I have complete confidence in you," said Lupin, smiling.

"Here — you've earned a drink. Something from the Three Broomsticks. You won't have tried it before —"

He pulled two bottles out of his briefcase.

"Butterbeer!" said Harry, without thinking. "Yeah, I like that stuff!"

Lupin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh — Ron, Teddy, and Hermione brought me and Evangeline some back from Hogsmeade," Harry lied quickly.

"I see," said Lupin, though he still looked slightly suspicious.

"Well — let's drink to a Gryffindor victory against Ravenclaw! Not that I'm supposed to take sides, as a teacher…" he added hastily.

They drank the butterbeer in silence, until Harry voiced something he'd been wondering for a while.

"What's under a Dementor's hood?"

Professor Lupin lowered his bottle thoughtfully.

"Hmmm… well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the Dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon."

"What's that?"

"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. "It's what Dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and — and suck out his soul."

Harry accidentally spat out a bit of butterbeer.

"What — they kill —?"

"Oh no," said Lupin. "Much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no… anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever… lost."

Lupin drank a little more butterbeer, then said, "It's the fate that awaits Sirius was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry have given the Dementors permission to perform it if they find him."

Harry sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then he thought of Black.

"He deserves it," he said suddenly.

"You think so?" said Lupin lightly. "Do you really think anyone deserves that?"

"Yes," said Harry defiantly. "For… for some things…"

He would have liked to have told Lupin about the conversation he'd overheard about Black in the Three Broomsticks, about Black betraying his mother and father, but it would have involved revealing that he'd gone to Hogsmeade without permission, and he knew Lupin wouldn't be very impressed by he finished his butterbeer, thanked Lupin, and left the History of Magic classroom.

Harry half wished that he hadn't asked what was under a Dementor's hood, the answer had been so horrible, and he was so lost in unpleasant thoughts of what it would feel like to have your soul sucked out of you that he walked headlong into Professor McGonagall halfway up the stairs.

"Do watch where you're going, Potter!"

"Sorry, Professor —"

"I've just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room, Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all — you've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…"

Harry's jaw dropped. She was holding out his Firebolt, and it looked as magnificent as ever.

"I can have it back?" Harry said weakly. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," said Professor McGonagall, and she was actually smiling. "I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you? And Potter —do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night…"

Speechless, Harry carried the Firebolt back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. As he turned a corner, he saw Ron dashing toward him, grinning from ear to ear.

"She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on it? Tomorrow?"

"Yeah… anything…" said Harry, his heart lighter than it had been in a month. "You know what — we should make up with Hermione and Teddy… they were only trying to help…"

"Yeah, all right," said Ron. "Hermione is in the common room now working — for a change. I assume Teddy is there too."

They turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville Longbottom, pleading with Sir Cadogan, who seemed to be refusing him entrance.

"I wrote them down!" Neville was saying tearfully. "But I must've dropped them somewhere!"

"A likely tale!" roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Harry and Ron: "Good even, my fine young yeomen! Come clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers within!"

"Oh, shut up," said Ron as he and Harry drew level with Neville.

"I've lost the passwords!" Neville told them miserably. "I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week, because he keeps changing them, and now I don't know what I've done with them!"

"Oddsbodkins," said Harry to Sir Cadogan, who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let them into the common room. There was a sudden, excited murmur as every head turned and the next moment, Harry was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt.

"Where'd you get it, Harry?"

"Will you let me have a go?"

"Have you ridden it yet, Harry?"

"Ravenclaw'll have no chance, they're all on Cleansweep Sevens!"

"Can I just hold it, Harry?"

After ten minutes or so, during which the Firebolt was Passed around and admired from every angle, the crowd dispersed and Harry and Ron had a clear view of Hermione and Teddy, the only people who hadn't rushed over to them, Hermione was bent over her work and carefully avoiding their eyes. Teddy was reading not really paying attention. Harry and Ron approached her table and at last, she looked up.

"I got it back," said Harry, grinning at her and holding up the Firebolt.

"See, Hermione? There wasn't anything wrong with it!" said Ron.

"But we didn't know that." Teddy said.

"Well — there might have been!" said Hermione. "I mean, at least you know now that it's safe!"

"Yeah, I suppose so," said Harry. "I'd better put it upstairs."

"I'll take it!" said Ron eagerly. "I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic."

He took the Firebolt and, holding it as if it were made of glass, carried it away up the boys' staircase.

"Can I sit down, then?" Harry asked Hermione.

"I suppose so," said Hermione, moving a great stack of parchment off a chair.

Harry looked around at the cluttered table, at the long Arithmancy essay on which the ink was still glistening, at the even longer Muggle Studies essay ('Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity') and at the rune translation Hermione was now poring over.

"How are you getting through all this stuff?" Harry asked her.

"Oh, well — you know — working hard," said Hermione. Close-up, Harry saw that she looked almost as tired as Lupin.

"Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?" Harry asked, watching her lifting books as she searched for her rune dictionary.

"I couldn't do that!" said Hermione, looking scandalized.

"Arithmancy looks terrible," said Harry, picking up a very complicated-looking number chart.

"Oh no, it's wonderful!" said Hermione earnestly. "It's my favorite subject! It's —"

But exactly what was wonderful about Arithmancy, Harry never found out. At that precise moment, a strangled yell echoed down the boys' staircase. The whole common room fell silent, staring, petrified, at the entrance. Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder — and then Ron came leaping into view, dragging with him a bedsheet.

"LOOK!" he bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.

"Ron, what —?"

"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"

Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it. Something that looked horribly like —

"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N — no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.

Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione and Harry leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.

Sorry for the short wait. I was in Tennessee for vacation, and I just wanted to relax. But now I back and I should be able to update more since its summer and I don't have school until august. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS THEY ARE APPRECIATED.


	14. Chapter 13

Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw

It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Harry couldn't see how they'd ever make up. Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.

Personally, Harry was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she lost her temper with Harry too.

"Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!" she said shrilly. "First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everything's my fault, isn't it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I've got a lot of work to do!"

Teddy ran after Hermione. _Boys are such idiots sometimes, _she thought.

Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," said Fred bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly — one swallow — he probably didn't feel a thing."

"Fred!" said Evangeline slapping his shoulder.

Fred just put his arm around her and acted like he was innocent. She rolled her eyes.

"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," said George.

"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"

"Yeah, that's true," said Harry.

"His finest hour," said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"

In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ("Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?") so they set off for the Quidditch field together.

Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before takeoff and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.

"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…"

She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, "Er — Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice…"

"Oh — right — here you are, then, Potter," said Madam Hooch. "I'll sit over here with Weasley…"

She and Ron left the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Wood for his final instructions for tomorrow's match.

"Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good… I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries…" Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt." He gave Harry's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go —"

And at long last, Harry mounted his Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground.

It was better than he'd ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey his thoughts rather than his grip; it sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur; Harry turned it so sharply that Katie Bell screamed, then he went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again —

"Harry, I'm letting the Snitch out!" Wood called.

Harry turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts; he outstripped it easily, saw the Snitch dart out from behind Wood, and within ten seconds had caught it tightly in his hand.

The team cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute's head start, then tore after it, weaving in and out of the others; he spotted it lurking near Katie Bell's knee, looped her easily, and caught it again.

It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didn't have a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first.

"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" said Wood. "Not unless — Harry, you've sorted out your Dementor problem, haven't you?"

"Yeah," said Harry, thinking of his feeble Patronus and wishing it were stronger.

"The Dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently.

"Plus I'm sure one of the teachers can help him this time, since they'll be on watch." Said Evangeline

"Well, let's hope not," said Wood. "Anyway — good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower… turn in early…"

"I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt," Harry told Wood, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Harry strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet him. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat.

"Here you go," said Harry, handing Ron the Firebolt.

Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him.

Night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke with a start, told Harry and Ron off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle.

Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, it's phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over — a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness.

Harry stopped dead, his heart banging against his ribs.

"What's the matter?" said Ron.

Harry pointed. Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, "Lumos!"

A beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks.

"Get out of here!" Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail.

"See?" Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. "She's still letting him wander about wherever he wants — probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now…"

Harry didn't say anything. He took a deep breath as relief seeped through him; he had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to the Grim. They set off for the castle once more. Slightly ashamed of his moment of panic, Harry didn't say anything to Ron — nor did he look left or right until they had reached the well lit entrance hall.

Harry went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the boys in his dormitory, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Harry saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.

"Did you see his face?" said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"

Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.

"Put it here, Harry," he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt.

"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"

Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table.

"Harry — make sure you win," said Percy, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast.

"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" said a cold, drawling voice.

Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.

"Yeah, reckon so," said Harry casually.

"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute — in case you get too near a Dementor."

Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.

"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," said Harry. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."

The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry's broom really was a Firebolt.

"What morons." Evangeline said rolling her eyes.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes. He only hoped he wouldn't need it. He wondered suddenly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching.

"You know what we've got to do," said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running, just — just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"

They walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldn't help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty. She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach that he didn't think had anything to do with nerves.

"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.

"Mount your brooms… on my whistle… three — two — one —"

Harry kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom; he soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the Snitch, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan.

"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship —"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice.

"Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —"

"Jordan!"

"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Evangeline Black of Gryffindor, heading for goal…"

Harry streaked past Evangeline in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing him closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier — she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.

"Show her your acceleration, Harry!" Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of a Bludger that was aiming for Angelina.

Harry urged the Firebolt forward as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and Cho fell behind. Just as Evangeline succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, he saw it — the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.

Harry dived; Cho saw what he was doing and tore after him — Harry was speeding up, excitement flooding him; dives were his specialty, he was ten feet away —

Then a Bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, came pelting out of nowhere; Harry veered off course, avoiding it by an inch, and in those few, crucial seconds, the Snitch had vanished.

There was a great "Ooooooh" of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters, but much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his feelings by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was forced to roll right over in midair to avoid it.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision — balance is really noticeable in these long —"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead — if Cho got the Snitch before him, Ravenclaw would win. Harry dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically — a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings — the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goal post…

Harry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead — but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him —

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

Harry turned and caught sight of Cho; she was grinning. The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cho following him… She'd decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself… All right, then… if she wanted to tail him, she'd have to take the consequences…

He dived again, and Cho, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, tried to follow; Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply; she hurtled downward; he rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time — the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end.

He accelerated; so, many feet below, did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second — then —

"Oh!" screamed Cho, pointing.

Distracted, Harry looked down.

Three Dementors, three tall, black, hooded Dementors, were looking up at him.

He didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"

Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand.

He knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but didn't pause to watch; his mind still miraculously clear, he looked ahead — he was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him so hard he was nearly pulled off his broom. Down below he could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd.

"That's my boy!" Wood kept yelling. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie had all kissed Harry on the cheek; Evangeline gave Harry a bear hug. Fred had him in a grip so tight Harry felt as though his head would come off. In complete disarray, the team managed to make its way back to the ground. Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. Before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.

"Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking Harry's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"

"Well done, Harry!" said Percy, looking delighted. "Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me —"

"Good for you, Harry!" roared Seamus Finnigan.

"Ruddy brilliant!" boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.

"That was quite some Patronus," said a voice in Harry's ear.

Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased.

"The Dementors didn't affect me at all!" Harry said excitedly. "I didn't feel a thing!"

"That would be because they — er — weren't Dementors," said Professor Lupin. "Come and see —"

He led Harry out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field.

"You gave Mr. Malfoy quite a fright," said Lupin.

Harry stared. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle's shoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.

"An unworthy trick!" she was shouting. "A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!"

If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor's victory, it was this. Ron, who had fought his way through to Harry's side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Malfoy fighting to extricate himself from the robe, Goyle's head still stuck inside it.

"Come on, Harry!" said George, fighting his way over. "Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"

"Right," said Harry, and feeling happier than he had in ages, he and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarlet robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.

It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred, Evangeline, and George disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.

"How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.

"With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Fred muttered in Harry's ear.

Teddy and Evangeline were both dancing, while teddy's hair had changed to Gryffindors colors.

Only one person wasn't joining in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. Harry broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.

"Did you even come to the match?" he asked her.

"Of course I did," said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. "And I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."

"Come on, Hermione, come and have some food," Harry said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.

"I can't, Harry. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Anyway…" She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them —"

Hermione burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight.

"Can't you give her a break?" Harry asked Ron quietly.

"No," said Ron flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry — but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."

Teddy ran after her to comfort her. Evangeline who was having so much fun dancing with Seamus and Dean, she didn't notice the exchange.

Hermione was in her room, trying to read the book, but found herself doing it in vain. She was still crying and couldn't concentrate. Teddy opened the door to the girls' dorm and sat next to her.

"Don't listen to Ron okay, he is a git, and I think he is only playing this out because he wants to be right about something." Teddy said trying to make her feel better.

"He didn't even like Scabbers much… always complained about him until this year. Why does he choose now to love Scabbers so much." Hermione cried.

"I don't know, who knows what goes on in that boys mind. All I know is he is stupid for letting this fight go on." Teddy replied before going to her bed.

Teddy found her stash of chocolate, which Hermione and Evangeline joked about most of the time. She grabbed two chocolate frogs and handed them to Hermione.

"Here it will make you feel better." She said.

The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their dormitory, still discussing the match.

When Evangeline walked into the girls' dorm she was greeted with the sight of Lavender and Pavarti snoring fast asleep. Also she saw Teddy and Hermione both asleep with chocolate all over their faces. Evangeline laughed and changed into her pajamas and fell asleep hugging the teddy bear Dean gave her for Christmas.

At last, exhausted, Harry climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of his four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleep…

He had a very strange dream. He was walking through a forest, his Firebolt over his shoulder, following something silvery-white. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did his quarry. Harry broke into a run, and ahead he heard hooves gathering speed. Now he was running flat out, and ahead he could hear galloping. Then he turned a corner into a clearing and —

"AAARRGGHH! NOOO!"

Harry woke as suddenly as though he'd been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, he fumbled with his hangings, he could hear movements around him, and Seamus Finnigan's voice from the other side of the room.

"What's going on?"

Harry thought he heard the dormitory door slam. At last finding the divide in his curtains, he ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp.

Ron was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face.

"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"

"What?"

"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"

"You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" said Dean.

"Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!"

They all scrambled out of bed; Harry reached the dormitory door first, and they sprinted back down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them.

"Who shouted?"

"What're you doing?"

The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"

"I'm telling you, I saw him!"

"What's all the noise?"Evangeline said as she walked down the stairs. Hermione and Teddy following after them. All three were in their pajamas.

"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"Teddy added.

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred Weasley brightly. Evangeline slapped his shoulder.

"George! Help I'm being abused!" Fred mocked yelled.

Evangeline rolled her eyes but she had a small smile on her face.

"Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.

"Perce — Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room went very still. Evangeline groaned, and everything was starting to get back to normal.

"Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare —"

"I'm telling you —"

"Now, really, enough's enough!"

Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare —"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Professor McGonagall stared at him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw —"

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath. "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

"You — you did?" said Professor McGonagall. "But — but the password!"

"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.

* * *

I didn't like this chapter much; it was around midnight when I wrote it, but oh well it's probably going to get much better next chapter.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Snape's Grudge

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that he had again escaped. Evangeline groaned and pulled her knees up to her face. Fred rubbed her back trying to make her feel better.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes.

Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Harry couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they — and now Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione — were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it.

"D'you reckon we should tell someone?" Harry asked Ron.

"We know he's not coming in through Honeyduke's," said Ron dismissively. "We'd've heard if the shop had been broken into."

Harry was glad Ron took this view. If the one-eyed witch was boarded up too, he would never be able to go into Hogsmeade again.

Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail.

"… I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft… I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down… I rolled over… and I saw him standing over me… like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair… holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches… and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered.

"Why, though?" Ron added to Harry and Evangeline as the group of second year girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed. "Why did he run?"

Harry had been wondering the same thing. Why had Black, having got the wrong bed, not silenced Ron and proceeded to Harry? Black had proved twelve years ago

that he didn't mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep.

"He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once you'd yelled and woken people up," said Evangeline. "He'd've had to kill the whole house to get back through the portrait hole… then he would've met the teachers…"

Harry wasn't sure if she was right; he felt like there was another reason. But he went along with it seeing as there was no other reason he could think of. Evangeline surprisingly didn't get upset by the rumors that were starting up again. She just rolled her eyes and tried to keep her temper at bay. Pansy was the worst of them all, asking if she was going to join her father and kill off the whole school. Evangeline wanted say something back but she knew that she'd end up hexing her, and end up in detention.

Neville was in total disgrace. Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him a detention, and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the tower. Poor Neville was forced to wait outside the common room every night for somebody to let him in, while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him. None of these punishments, however, came close to matching the one his grandmother had in store for him. Two days after Black's break-in, she sent Neville the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast — a Howler.

The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual, and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak. Harry and Ron, who were sitting opposite him, recognized the letter as a Howler at once — Ron had got one from his mother the year before.

"Run for it, Neville," Ron advised.

Neville didn't need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. They heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall — Neville's grandmother's voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.

Harry was too busy feeling sorry for Neville to notice immediately that he had a letter too. Hedwig got his attention by nipping him sharply on the wrist.

"Ouch! Oh — thanks, Hedwig."

Harry tore open the envelope while Hedwig helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes.

The note inside said:

Dear Harry and Ron,

How about having tea with me this afternoon 'round six? I'll come collect you from the castle. WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL; YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN.

Cheers,

Hagrid

"He probably wants to hear all about Black!" said Ron.

Evangeline rolled her eyes, wishing he'd shut up about it. She wasn't in the mood, and she didn't need him reminding her that her Father almost killed one of her best friends. Fred and George weren't at breakfast, she assumed that they slept in or were causing trouble, like usual.

Evangeline spotted Hermione and Teddy on the other end of the table. They both looked a little lonely and she decided to go and talk to them.

"Hey guys." She said and sat down next to Hermione across from Teddy.

"You aren't mad at me?" Hermione said shocked.

"No, personally I didn't like Scabbers much. Besides, I like Crookshanks. A lot." Evangeline said. "Plus, with Ron going on and on about my-" she stopped abruptly but continued on, " I mean Black about to kill him, that can ruin anyone's mood."

"No one blames you." Teddy said.

"I wish I could believe that, but all three of us know that it isn't true." Evangeline said pessimistically .

"Let's change the subject." Teddy said taking a bite of her toast.

But before she could, Hermione interrupted.

"Evangeline! Please don't go into Hogsmeade anymore. It is too dangerous now that we know he is extremely close to Hogwarts. Plus, he might try to brain wash you." Hermione said concerned.

"Hermione, I have a date with Fred that day, He sneaking me in there and everything." Evangeline said.

"Evangeline, it isn't safe. He caused the death of your mom, He's not going to care about your death either. We don't want anything to happen to you." Teddy added trying to make the girl see reason.

"Please! I'm sure Fred would understand if you told him you are afraid that your father-"

"HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" Evangeline yelled.

The whole hall just stared at her. Her friends faces were showing pity, while the others either looked frightened by her outburst. The teachers all had faces of compassion for her, Lupin had the most. She turned around not wanting their pity

Hermione and Teddy looked shocked at her outburst. Hermione turned pale.

"He lost that right when he sold out Harry's parents, and left both of us as orphans." She said softly, hoping that no one else would hear.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean it… I just want to keep you safe. I'm sure I just lost Harry and Ron as friends. I don't want to lose another one." Hermione said on the verge of tears.

Evangeline's face turned from anger, to guilt, to sorrow, in about only a few seconds.

"If it means so much to you… I'll stay." Evangeline said before hugging her. Teddy joined in. Everyone in the hall turned back to their food after this, still not understanding what happened.

"We desperately need a girl's night." Teddy said jokingly.

"That's not a bad idea… we could invite Ginny with us." Hermione said, drying her tears.

"Do you mind if I invite Cho Chang?" Evangeline asked.

"Why Cho?" Teddy asked confused.

"She was friendly to me while people were ignoring me… plus, she is really nice." She replied.

"Okay," Teddy and Hermione said both shrugging their shoulders.

"Maybe next weekend, we could have it in the common room. That way we would be bothered by Lavender… She doesn't like me much. The feelings mutual." Evangeline said.

They went back to their food and talked about random things. But all three felt better than they did before.

So at six o'clock that afternoon, Harry and Ron left Gryffindor Tower, passed the security trolls at a run, and headed down to the entrance hall.

Hagrid was already waiting for them.

"All right, Hagrid!" said Ron. "S'pose you want to hear about Saturday night, do you?"

"I've already heard all abou' it," said Hagrid, opening the front doors and leading them outside.

"Oh," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

The first thing they saw on entering Hagrid's cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid's patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets. Averting his eyes from this unpleasant sight, Harry saw a gigantic, hairy brown suit and a very horrible yellow-and-orange tie hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.

"What are they for, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"Buckbeak's case against the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures," said Hagrid. "This Friday. Him an' me'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked two beds on the Knight Bus…"

Harry felt a nasty pang of guilt. He had completely forgotten that Buckbeak's trial was so near, and judging by the uneasy look on Ron's face, he had too. They had also forgotten their promise about helping him prepare Buckbeak's defense; the arrival of the Firebolt had driven it clean out of their minds.

Hagrid poured them tea and offered them a plate of Bath buns but they knew better than to accept; they had had too much experience with Hagrid's cooking.

"I got somethin' ter discuss with you two," said Hagrid, sitting himself between them and looking uncharacteristically serious.

"What?" said Harry.

"Hermione," said Hagrid.

"What about her?" said Ron.

"She's in a righ' state, that's what. She's bin comin' down ter visit me a lot since Chris'mas. Bin feelin' lonely."

"Lonely? She has Evangeline and Teddy." Ron interjected.

"Yeh, bu' they both got their own problems ter worry abou'. Firs' yeh weren' talking to her because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat —"

"– ate Scabbers!" Ron interjected angrily.

"Because her cat acted like all cats do," Hagrid continued doggedly. "She's cried a fair few times, yeh know. Goin' through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more'n she can chew, if yeh ask me, all the work she's tryin' ter do. Still found time ter help me with Buckbeak's case, mind… She and Teddy found some really good stuff fer me… reckon he'll stand a good chance now…"

"Hagrid, we should've helped as well — sorry —" Harry began awkwardly.

"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving Harry's apology aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be getting' on with. I've seen yeh practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night — but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."

Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. She's got her heart in the right place, Hermione has, an' you two not talkin' to her —"

"If she'd just get rid of that cat, I'd speak to her again!" Ron said angrily. "But she's still sticking up for it! It's a maniac, and she won't hear a word against it!"

"Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou' their pets," said Hagrid wisely.

Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid's pillow.

They spent the rest of their visit discussing Gryffindor's improved chances for the Quidditch Cup. At nine o'clock, Hagrid walked them back up to the castle.

A large group of people was bunched around the bulletin board when they returned to the common room.

"Hogsmeade, next weekend!" said Ron, craning over the heads to read the new notice. "What d'you reckon?" he added quietly to Harry as they went to sit down.

"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage into Honeydukes…" Harry said, even more quietly.

"Harry!" said a voice in his right ear. Harry started and looked around at Hermione, who was sitting at the table right behind them and clearing a space in the wall of books that had been hiding her.

"Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again… I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!" said Hermione.

"Evangeline agreed not to go, you won't be alone." Teddy added.

"Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" growled Ron, not looking at Hermione.

"Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell —"

"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!" said Ron furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year?"

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Teddy screamed at the top of her lungs. "You are being a right foul git. I cannot believe you are treating one of your best mates like this."

Teddy's hair turned a bloody red. She turned to Hermione.

"Come on, he isn't worth it. Lets go to the library." She fumed. "Are coming or not, Evangeline?" She added looking at said girl.

The three girls turned toward the Gryffindor common room. Teddy's livid exit was ruined once she tripped on her feet landing on her bum.

"So how about it?" Ron said to Harry as though there had been no interruption. "Come on, last time we went you didn't see anything. You haven't even been inside Zonko's yet!"

"Okay," he said. "But I'm taking the Invisibility Cloak this time."

The three girls decided to stay inside the castle, rather than going to Hogsmeade. It was safer and they had some homework to finish.

"We should do something besides homework." Evangeline said randomly.

Both girls looked up from their potion's essay, which Evangeline already finished.

"Like what exactly?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we can go to Lupin's class and hang out." She suggested. "Or we can prank Grease Monkey, his hair is greasier than usual today." She added dryly, as though she was merely making a comment about the weather.

Teddy frowned. "There is no way Hermione and I are pranking Snape. Let's just visit my dad."

Evangeline humphed.

"You guys are no fun." She said mockingly.

Hermione just shook her head, smiling.

Two of the three girls walked to Lupin's office, while the third strutted (Guess which).

"Yo, Lupin!" Evangeline yelled as she opened the door.

Teddy just shook her head, and put her face in her hands. Hermione looked as if she never heard someone ever greet a professor like that, which was probably true.

Surprisingly, Lupin smiled at that instead of correcting her on the appropriate way to greet a professor.

"Hey, Dad." Teddy said rolling her eyes.

"So, what brings you ladies here?" Lupin asked, putting up the book he was reading.

"Well, these squares are goody two-shoes and won't help me prank Snape. So we decided to crash whatever you are doing." Evangeline complained before sitting on top of the desk instead of on a chair.

"Umm… Professor, I'm _truly_ sorry about Evangeline's behavior." Hermione said.

Evangeline looked at her, shrugged and said nonchalantly, "I'm not."

"What are you doing?" Teddy asked looking at her father.

"I'm finding something for the students to learn for the next class. Your class is getting so advanced. We need to move on." He said.

"Well, it helps when you have such a great professor." Evangeline said. Teddy snickered. She was so obviously sucking up.

"Evangeline, flattery won't get you a higher grade." Lupin said not even glancing at her.

" Darn it, I was hoping you wouldn't give me homework." She said, snapping her fingers.

"Okay, so… I was wondering…if-" Hermione started.

"Hermione knows that you're a werewolf." Teddy cut her off.

For the first time, Lupin looked up from his work. "How?"

"I found out from the lesson about werewolves that Snape gave us." Hermione answered.

Evangeline looked up angrily, "If you can call that a lesson. All he did was yell at as and take away points from Gryffindor."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Hermione assured.

"Is that why Snape hates you so much?" Evangeline asked curiously.

"Evangeline!" Hermione admonished.

"It's quite alright." Lupin chuckled. "He doesn't like me because of our days at Hogwarts." Lupin had a faraway look in his eyes, looking like he was reminiscing. "But I'd rather not talk about that," He added, seeing that Evangeline looked interested.

Evangeline frowned and then shouted, "Tell me!"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Evangeline! That is so incredibly rude!"

Lupin didn't seem to mind much at all. In fact, he looked like he was remembering about it in his head.

"Dad?" Teddy asked concerned as he was staring into space.

"I'm fine." He said before frowning.

"Uh…" Evangeline said before rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry."

"It's okay; you know, you remind me so much of your parents." Lupin said looking at Evangeline.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing anymore." Evangeline confessed looking down at her feet.

"It depends on how you take it." Lupin smiled at her.

"Okay. I think we've taken up enough of your time, Professor, we will see you on Monday." Hermione said before looking at Evangeline. "Come on, we have to go to the library to finish your Charms essay."

Hermione grabbed Evangeline's hand and started to drag her towards the door.

"Help! She's trying to make me learn!" Evangeline yelled, struggling to escape Hermione's firm grip on her wrist.

"Are you going to come with us, Teddy?" Hermione asked.

"In a little while." Teddy said.

"Alright. Bye Professor Lupin!" Hermione said before dragging Evangeline behind her.

Evangeline was mouthing 'Help me!'

"Nice friends." Lupin said chuckling.

"Yeah, you should see us when we are all together. Although, we've been doing nothing but fighting since before Christmas." Teddy frowned.

"Take it from me, if you guys are truly best friends, you will all make up with each other." Lupin said looking at her.

"Dad, what were you talking about earlier? About your days in Hogwarts?" Teddy asked curiously.

"That is a story that I don't want to tell. It's a long one, and it has an unhappy ending." He answered. He had a slight smile, but it was obviously fake. Behind it, was sadness that Teddy probably wouldn't understand at her age. Or perhaps, it was just way too personal. Either way, Teddy recognized it and changed the subject.

"Lunch is about to start. We better be off." She said, rubbing her stomach.

"Always thinking about food." His sad smile turned into a grin and he laughed. "Evangeline must be rubbing off on you."

"No… that's more like Ron. Anyway, let's go." She grabbed her father's hand. Teddy was trying to run to the Great Hall, but her dad was trailing very slowly behind her.

"Come on, old man, we don't have all day!" Teddy joked around with her father, trying to cheer him up.

"I'm not walking that slowly, Teddy, you're just impatient." Her father said in that intelligent tone of his.

"Dumbledore walks faster than you and he's over a hundred years old! Pick up the pace!"

"Oi!"

* * *

Harry hurried up to the third floor, slipping the Marauder's Map out of his pocket as he went. Crouching behind the one-eyed witch, he smoothed it out. The third floor corridor seemed to be deserted. He sprinted back to the one-eyed witch, opened her hump, heaved himself inside, and slid down to meet his bag at the bottom of the stone chute. He wiped the Marauder's Map blank again, then set off at a run.

Harry, completely hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, emerged into the sunlight outside Honeydukes and prodded Ron in the back.

"It's me," he muttered.

"Okay, let's go."

They set off up the High Street.

"Where are you?" Ron kept muttering out of the corner of his mouth. "Are you still there? This feels weird…"

They went to the post office; Ron pretended to be checking the price of an owl to Bill in Egypt so that Harry could have a good look around. The owls sat hooting softly down at him, at least three hundred of them; from Great Grays right down to tiny little Scops owls ("Local Deliveries Only"), which were so small they could have sat in the palm of Harry's hand.

Then they visited Zonko's, which was so packed with students Harry had to exercise great care not to tread on anyone and cause a panic. There were jokes and tricks to fulfill even Fred's and George's wildest dreams; Harry gave Ron whispered orders and passed him some gold from under the cloak. They left Zonko's with their money bags considerably lighter than they had been on entering, but their pockets bulging with Dungbombs, Hiccup Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap, and a Nose-Biting Teacup apiece.

The day was fine and breezy, and neither of them felt like staying indoors, so they walked past the Three Broomsticks and climbed a slope to visit the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted dwelling in Britain. It stood a little way above the rest of the village, and even in daylight was slightly creepy, with its boarded windows and dank overgrown garden.

"Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid it," said Ron as they leaned on the fence, looking up at it. "I asked Nearly Headless Nick… he says he's heard a very rough crowd lives here. No one can get in. Fred and George tried, obviously, but all the entrances are sealed shut…"

Harry, feeling hot from their climb, was just considering taking off the cloak for a few minutes when they heard voices nearby. Someone was climbing toward the house from the other side of the hill; moments later, Malfoy had appeared, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy was speaking.

"… should have an owl from Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm… about how I couldn't use it for three months…"

Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.

"I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself… 'There's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest —'… That Hippogriff's as good as dead —"

Malfoy suddenly caught sight of Ron. His pale face split in a malevolent grin.

"What are you doing, Weasley?"

Malfoy looked up at the crumbling house behind Ron.

"Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room — is that true?"

Harry seized the back of Ron's robes to stop him from leaping on Malfoy.

"Leave him to me," he hissed in Ron's ear.

The opportunity was too perfect to miss. Harry crept silently around behind Malfoy, Crabbe, andGoyle, bent down, and scooped a large handful of mud out of the path.

"We were just discussing your friend Hagrid," Malfoy said to Ron. "Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his Hippogriff's —"

SPLAT!

Malfoy's head jerked forward as the mud hit him; his silverblond hair was suddenly dripping in muck.

"What the —?"

Ron had to hold onto the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing so hard. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle spun stupidly on the spot, staring wildly around, Malfoy trying to wipe his hair clean.

"What was that? Who did that?"

"Very haunted up here, isn't it?" said Ron, with the air of one commenting on the weather.

Crabbe and Goyle were looking scared. Their bulging muscles were no use against ghosts. Malfoy was staring madly around at the deserted landscape.

Harry sneaked along the path, where a particularly sloppy puddle yielded some foul-smelling, green sludge.

SPLATTER!

Crabbe and Goyle caught some this time. Goyle hopped furiously on the spot, trying to rub it out of his small, dull eyes.

"It came from over there!" said Malfoy, wiping his face, and staring at a spot some six feet to the left of Harry.

Crabbe blundered forward, his long arms outstretched like a zombie. Harry dodged around him, picked up a stick, and lobbed it at Crabbe's back. Harry doubled up with silent laughter as Crabbe did a kind of pirouette in midair, trying to see who had thrown it. As Ron was the only person Crabbe could see, it was Ron he started toward, but Harry stuck out his leg. Crabbe stumbled — and his huge, flat foot caught the hem of Harry's cloak. Harry felt a great tug, then the cloak slid off his face.

For a split second, Malfoy stared at him.

"AAARGH!" he yelled, pointing at Harry's head. Then he turned tail and ran, at breakneck speed, back down the hill, Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

Harry tugged the cloak up again, but the damage was done.

"Harry!" Ron said, stumbling forward and staring hopelessly at the point where Harry had disappeared, "you'd better run for it! If Malfoy tells anyone — you'd better get back to the castle, quick —"

"See you later," said Harry, and without another word, he tore back down the path toward Hogsmeade.

Would Malfoy believe what he had seen? Would anyone believe Malfoy? Nobody knew about the Invisibility Cloak — nobody except Dumbledore. Harry's stomach turned over — Dumbledore would know exactly what had happened, if Malfoy said anything —

Back into Honeydukes, back down the cellar steps, across the stone floor, through the trapdoor — Harry pulled off the cloak, tucked it under his arm, and ran, flat out, along the passage… Malfoy would get back first… how long would it take him to find a teacher? Panting, a sharp pain in his side, Harry didn't slow down until he reached the stone slide. He would have to leave the cloak where it was, it was too much of a giveaway in case Malfoy had tipped off a teacher —he hid it in a shadowy corner, then started to climb, fast as he could, his sweaty hands slipping on the sides of the chute. He reached the inside of the witch's hump, tapped it with his wand, stuck his head through, and hoisted himself out; the hump closed, and just as Harry jumped out from behind the statue, he heard quick footsteps approaching.

It was Snape.

He approached Harry at a swift walk, his black robes swishing, then stopped in front of him.

"So," he said.

There was a look of suppressed triumph about him. Harry tried to look innocent, all too aware of his sweaty face and his muddy hands, which he quickly hid in his pockets.

"Come with me, Potter," said Snape.

Harry followed him downstairs, trying to wipe his hands clean on the inside of his robes without Snape noticing. They walked down the stairs to the dungeons and then into Snape's office.

Harry had been in here only once before, and he had been in very serious trouble then too. Snape had acquired a few more slimy horrible things in jars since last time, all standing on shelves behind his desk, glinting in the firelight and adding to the threatening atmosphere.

"Sit," said Snape.

Harry sat. Snape, however, remained, standing.

"Mr. Malfoy has just been to see me with a strange story, Potter," said Snape.

Harry didn't say anything.

"He tells me that he was up by the Shrieking Shack when he ran into Weasley — apparently alone."

Still, Harry didn't speak.

"Mr. Malfoy states that he was standing talking to Weasley, when a large amount of mud hit him in the back of the head. How do you think that could have happened?"

Harry tried to look mildly surprised.

"I don't know, Professor."

Snape's eyes were boring into Harry's. It was exactly like trying to stare down a Hippogriff. Harry tried hard not to blink.

"Mr. Malfoy then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been, Potter?"

"No," said Harry, now trying to sound innocently curious.

"It was your head, Potter. Floating in midair."

There was a long silence.

"Maybe he'd better go to Madam Pomfrey," said Harry. "If he's seeing things like —"

"What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter?" said Snape softly. "Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmeade."

"I know that," said Harry, striving to keep his face free of guilt or fear. "It sounds like Malfoy's having hallucin —"

"Malfoy is not having hallucinations," snarled Snape, and he bent down, a hand on each arm of Harry's chair, so that their faces were a foot apart. "If your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you."

"I've been up in Gryffindor Tower," said Harry. "Like you told —"

"Can anyone confirm that?"

Harry didn't say anything. Snape's thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.

"So," he said, straightening up again. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."

Harry stayed silent. Snape was trying to provoke him into telling the truth. He wasn't going to do it. Snape had no proof — yet.

"How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," Snape said suddenly, his eyes glinting. "He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers… The resemblance between you is uncanny.

"My dad didn't strut," said Harry, before he could stop himself. "And neither do I."

"Your father didn't set much store by rules either," Snape went on, pressing his advantage, his thin face full of malice. "Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen —"

"SHUT UP!"Harry was suddenly on his feet. Rage such as he had not felt since his last night in Privet Drive was coursing through him. He didn't care that Snape's face had gone rigid, the black eyes flashing dangerously.

"What did you say to me, Potter?"

"I told you to shut up about my dad!" Harry yelled. "I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for my dad!"

Snape's sallow skin had gone the color of sour milk.

"And did the headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?" he whispered. "Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?"

Harry bit his lip. He didn't know what had happened and didn't want to admit it — but Snape seemed to have guessed the truth.

"I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter," he said, a terrible grin twisting his face. "Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you — your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts."

Snape's uneven, yellowish teeth were bared.

"Turn out your pockets, Potter!" he spat suddenly.

Harry didn't move. There was a pounding in his ears.

"Turn out your pockets, or we go straight to the headmaster! Pull them out, Potter!"

Cold with dread, Harry slowly pulled out the bag of Zonko's tricks and the Marauder's Map.

Snape picked up the Zonko's bag.

"Ron gave them to me," said Harry, praying he'd get a chance to tip Ron off before Snape saw him. "He brought them back from Hogsmeade last time —"

"Indeed? And you've been carrying them around ever since? How very touching… and what is this?"

Snape had picked up the map. Harry tried with all his might to keep his face impassive.

"Spare bit of parchment," he said with a shrug.

Snape turned it over, his eyes on Harry.

"Surely you don't need such a very old piece of parchment?" he said. "Why don't I just — throw this away?"

His hand moved toward the fire.

"No!" Harry said quickly.

"So!" said Snape, his long nostrils quivering. "Is this another treasured gift from Mr. Weasley? Or is it — something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or — instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the Dementors?"

Harry blinked. Snape's eyes gleamed.

"Let me see, let me see…" he muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the map out on his desk."Reveal your secret!" he said, touching the wand to the parchment.

Nothing happened. Harry clenched his hands to stop them from shaking.

"Show yourself!" Snape said, tapping the map sharply.

It stayed blank. Harry was taking deep, calming breaths.

"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.

As though an invisible hand were writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the map.

"Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."

Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn't stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.

"Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."

It would have been very funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was more…

"Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor."

Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he'd opened them, the map had had its last word.

"Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."

Harry waited for the blow to fall.

"So…" said Snape softly."We'll see about this…"

He strode across to his fire, seized a fistful of glittering powder from a jar on the fireplace, and threw it into the flames.

"Lupin!" Snape called into the fire. "I want a word!"

Utterly bewildered, Harry stared at the fire. A large shape had appeared in it, revolving very fast. Seconds later, Professor Lupin was clambering out of the fireplace, brushing ash off his shabby robes.

"You called, Severus?" said Lupin mildly.

"I certainly did," said Snape, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk. "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin's face.

"Well?" said Snape.

Lupin continued to stare at the map. Harry had the impression that Lupin was doing some very quick thinking.

"Well?" said Snape again. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"

Lupin looked up and, by the merest half-glance in Harry's direction, warned him not to interrupt.

"Full of Dark Magic?" he repeated mildly. "Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop —"

"Indeed?" said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. "You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"

Harry didn't understand what Snape was talking about. Nor, apparently, did Lupin.

"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" he said. "Harry, do you know any of these men?"

"No," said Harry quickly.

"You see, Severus?" said Lupin, turning back to Snape. "It looks like a Zonko's product to me —"

Right on cue, Ron came bursting into the office. Ron was breathing heavy, since he ran from Hogsmeade. "I — gave — Harry — that — stuff," Ron choked. "Bought — it… in Zonko's… ages — ago…"

"Well!" said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes. "Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay — excuse us, Severus —"

Harry didn't dare look at Snape as they left his office. He, Ron, and Lupin walked all the way back into the entrance hall before speaking. Then Harry turned to Lupin.

"Professor, I —"

"I don't want to hear explanations," said Lupin shortly.

He glanced around the empty entrance hall and lowered his voice. "I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map," he said as Harry, and Ron looked amazed. "I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."

Harry had expected that, and was too keen for explanations to protest.

"Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

"Because…" Lupin hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."

"Do you know them?" said Harry, impressed.

"We've met," he said shortly.

He was looking at Harry more seriously than ever before.

"Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."

He walked away, leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape's office. Slowly, he and Ron mounted the marble staircase. As Harry passed the one-eyed witch, he remembered the Invisibility Cloak — it was still down there, but he didn't dare go and get it.

"It's my fault," said Ron abruptly. "I persuaded you to go. Lupin's right, it was stupid, we shouldn't've done it —"

He broke off; they reached the corridor where the security trolls were pacing, and Hermione, Teddy, and Evangeline were walking toward them. One look at her face convinced Harry that she had heard what had happened. His heart plummeted — had she told Professor McGonagall?

"Come to have a good gloat?" said Ron savagely as she stopped in front of them. "Or have you just been to tell on us?"

"Honestly, Ronald!" Teddy yelled.

"No," said Hermione. She was holding a letter in her hands and her lip was trembling.

"I wanted to let you know that Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak's—" She broke off, not able to finish.

"Buckbeak is going to be executed." Evangeline finished in a dry voice.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: The Quidditch Final

"He sent me this," Hermione said, holding out the letter. Harry took it.

The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read.

_Dear Hermione,__**  
**__We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London.__**  
**__I won't forget all the help you gave us.__**  
**__Hagrid_

"They can't do this," said Harry. "They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous."

"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it," said Hermione, wiping her eyes. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope...Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."

"Oh, Ron!"

Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. While Hermione wasn't looking, Evangeline sent Ron a wink and a thumbs up. Ron's ears turned pink**. **Finally, Hermione drew away.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." she sobbed.

"Oh - well - he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

"The gang is all back together!" Evangeline yelled happily.

She grabbed them and forced them into a group hug.

"Evangeline, you're hurting me." Harry gasped.

"Enjoy the moment!" She yelled.

"I have to pee." Ron added.

"Can you guys shut up and have a sweet moment for once!?" Evangeline scolded.

"Evangeline, get off me before I hex you." Teddy demanded.

"I'm done!" Evangeline yelled, letting go of everyone.

"Why do we hang out with you?" Teddy questioned.

"You'd be bored without me." She shrugged.

"That's true." They all agreed.

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons. He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.

"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..."

"There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

"Hagrid, let us know if you need anything, we'd be happy to help." Teddy said rubbing his giant shoulder.

They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead they could see Malfoy, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively.

"I'd like to wipe that smile right off his face." Evangeline threatened.

"He'll get what's coming to him eventually." Teddy reassured her.

"Eventually better hurry up, then." She said.

"S'no good," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..."

Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!" Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening. "Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first - SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster.

Malfoy staggered.

Harry, Ron, Teddy,Evangeline, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul - you evil –"

"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.

"Get off, Ron!"

Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.

"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.

"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

"Eventually came fast." Evangeline said with a smirk.

"Harry, Evangeline, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"Hermione, I have to say, that was bloody brilliant!" Evangeline yelled giving her a high five.

"We're due in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."

They hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom.

"You're late," said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as Harry opened the classroom door. "Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs –"

Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, and Ron hurried to a desk at the back and opened their bags. Ron looked behind him.

"Where's Hermione gone?"

Harry looked around too. Hermione hadn't entered the classroom, yet Harry knew she had been right next to him when he had opened the door.

"That's weird," said Harry, staring at Ron.

"Maybe - maybe she went to the bathroom or something?" Teddy suggested.

But Hermione didn't turn up all lesson.

"That's not like Hermione. She never misses lessons." Evangeline said worried.

"You don't think that she got in trouble for slapping Malfoy?" Teddy asked.

"No, Malfoy wouldn't admit that he was slapped by a girl." Evangeline said rolling her eyes.

"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too," said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly - the Cheering Charms had left them with a feeling of great contentment.

Hermione wasn't at lunch either. By the time they had finished their apple pie, the after-effects of the Cheering Charms were wearing off. Fred was telling Evangeline his latest shenanigans. Evangeline was pretending to listen, while she was worried about her in her thoughts.

"_Malfoy didn't hurt her. Did He? I'd smack him harder than Hermione ever could, then he'd be really embarrassed. Oh no, Fred was talking to me this whole time. His eyes are bright, he must be happy about something. Okay, just keep calm and act like you were listening."_

"So what do you think?" He asked pushing Evangeline's bangs out of her face.

"Great!" She smiled acting like she knew what he was saying.

"So you'll do it?" He smiled.

"Do what?" She asked finally giving up on acting like she was paying attention.

"Nothing, I was just making that up to call you out on not paying attention." He said rolling his eyes jokingly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about Hermione."

"Well judging by the slap she delivered to Malfoy, I'd say she can take care of herself." He smiled.

"How'dyou know about that?" She smiled.

"Practically all the Gryffindors are talking about it!" He said.

The food vanished signifying that lunch was over.

"So, common room Saturday… we can make up for that lost date from Hogsmeade." He said he was walking with Evangeline hand in hand.

"Can't. We are having a sleepover in the common room that day… and no, you and George can't crash it."

Fred snapped his fingers.

"I never get to see you anymore." Fred complained.

"I know… I've been busy." Evangeline sighed.

Before she could say anything else, Lee and George were motioning Fred over.

"Go… we can talk later." She smiled.

Fred gave her a quick peck on the lips before running over to them.

She sighed before she walked to the common room. On the way there she met up with Harry, Ron, and Teddy.

"You don't think Malfoy did something to her?" Ron said anxiously as they hurried upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower.

They passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password ("Flibbertigibbet"),and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room. Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. They went to sit down on either side of her. Harry prodded her awake.

"Wh - what?" said Hermione, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W - which lesson have we got now?"

"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Harry. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"

"You know what, Hermione?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."

"Yeah, maybe you should drop a few subjects. It isn't healthy." Evangeline suggested.

"No, I won't!" said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry... I'll see you in Divination!"

Hermione joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.

"I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!" She complained.

"It's okay. I can show you how to do it, it isn't terribly hard." Teddy offered.

"Thanks."

Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. The tables were in twos. It was a problem to fit a group of five friends together most of the time.

"It's okay. I'll go sit by Neville. I haven't had a chance to talk to him in a while." Evangeline said before sitting next to him.

Ron and Harry sat at the same table, while Teddy and Hermione took the one behind them. Evangeline and Neville were to the right side of Ron and Harry.

"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby.

"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands."

"I hope I don't break the crystal balls as well." Neville complained nervously.

"Neville, don't listen to what she says. She's predicting that you'll break something every time because she knows it makes you nervous. And no offense, but you are clumsy when you are nervous." Evangeline said rubbing his shoulder.

"And I thought you couldn't lower your standards anymore." An irritating voice said.

"Oh my gosh, Pansy, leave your abnormally large nose out of my business." Evangeline said rolling her eyes.

"Well, first you date the filthy mudblood loving Weasley, now you're helping the crybaby feel better." Pansy mocked.

"First of all, Fred and Neville are twice the people you'll ever be. Two, don't you have to stalk Malfoy somewhere?" Evangeline said dully.

"I don't stalk him!" She said in outrage.

"The first step is admitting you have a problem." Evangeline replied sharply.

"Whatever. Leave me alone, mudblood lover." Pansy rolled her eyes.

"You started the conversation, I'm just replying. If you can't stand me… don't talk to me." She snapped before turning her back on Pansy.

"Well, have fun dating the stupid blood traitor." She mocked.

"Merlin, I want to hex her." Evangeline muttered.

"No one's stopping you." Teddy assured her.

"Maybe eventually will catch up to her too." Evangeline muttered again.

"Good day to you!" said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows.

Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball.

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

Hermione snorted.

"Well, honestly...'the fates have informed her' who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" She said, not troubling to keep her voice low.

Harry, Teddy, Evangeline and Ron choked back laughs.

It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to see when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practising relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes-"

- Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise -

"So as to clear the Inner Eye and the super conscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of the class."

And so they began. Harry, at least, felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep his mind empty when thoughts such as "this is stupid" kept drifting across it.

"What do you see?" Neville asked Evangeline.

"I see… fog?" She said, but it came out as a question. "What, is it going to be foggy tomorrow?"

Then the crystal ball turned back to its clear color.

Professor Trelawney, who was walking around the class room, walked up to them.

"What do you see, dears?" She asked.

"I see the conditions of the weather. It's going to be foggy in the morning, and clear in the afternoon." Evangeline said dryly.

"Well done, my dear. You are the first person who made a correct prediction." Trelawney praised.

"I did…? I mean, I did!" She exclaimed.

"I can do that! It's going to rain in a few seconds." Ron predicted.

They looked out the windows. The sun came out and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

"Not everyone has the seer blood, dear." Evangeline ended with giggles.

Hermione and Teddy started to laugh. Ron's ears turned red as his hair.

"Seen anything yet?" Harry asked Ron after a quarter of an hour's crystal gazing.

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms –"

Professor Trelawney rustled past.

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball. Harry felt his heart sinking. He was sure he knew what was coming -

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving... but what is it?"

Harry was prepared to bet everything he owned, Including his Firebolt, that it wasn't good news, whatever it was.

And sure enough -

"My dear," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before... my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer... the Gr –"

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."

There was a moment's silence. Then -

"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Teddy off her chair. "I give up! I'm leaving!"

And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim.

She turned abruptly from Harry and Ron's table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her.

"Ooooo!" said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. "Oooooh, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? 'Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!' You said it ages ago, Professor!"

Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile.

"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs...The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know..."

Teddy slapped her head in annoyance.

Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead.

"Some day Hermione's having, eh?" Ron muttered to Harry, looking awed.

"Yeah..." Harry glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist.

Had Professor Trelawney really seen the Grim again? Would he? The last thing he needed was another near-fatal accident, with the Quidditch final drawing ever nearer.

* * *

The next day started the Easter holidays. The girls woke up to the sound of Lavender screeching.

"Evangeline, you were right." She said shaking Evangeline awake.

"Why the bloody hell are you waking me up? It's a Saturday!" Evangeline groaned in aggravation.

Evangeline looked at the clock.

"You woke me up at seven A.M… That's like the middle of the night." She said before pulling the covers over herself.

"You were right in divination! It's foggy out! Can you predict my future too? I need to know if I do well on the exams because my mum is giving me a present if I do well!" She shrieked.

Lavender had pulled off her covers in the process leaving an extremely irritated Evangeline.

"Leave her alone, she's horrible in the morning." Teddy said.

"But Teddy, don't you want your future being read… Evangeline can read it for us… You heard Professor Trelawney praising her."

Evangeline snapped.

"Okay, you want me to see your future? Meet me at the Divination tower after lunch, I'll read it then."

She once again squealed before leaving the room.

"You're going to mess with her, aren't you?" Teddy asked.

"Teddy, Teddy, Teddy, you offend my kind nature and sensibility." Evangeline said.

There was a moment of silence.

Teddy and Evangeline looked at each other before they both started laughing.

"Oh, that was a good one."

"Yeah, but seriously, I'm going to mess with her. Who wakes up at seven A.M.?" Evangeline asked.

"Umm… normal people." Teddy answered.

"When have I ever been normal?"

"That's true."

"So, the sleepover's tonight... let's raise some hell and break some shit."

"Evangeline, did you really just say that?"

"Depends, will I get in trouble for it?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Evangeline got out a piece of parchment. "Rule number 102 of what not to do at Hogwarts: Do not raise some hell and break some shit."

"You're still doing that stupid list?" Teddy asked, rolling her eyes in the process.

"How dare you!? It is not stupid. I plan on giving it to one of my children one day."

"God help that child."

"Oi!"

* * *

Evangeline was dressing up in Professor Trelawney's clothes. If she was going to do this prank, she was going to do it right. Trelawney's clothes were way too big for her. However, since she was taller than Trelawney herself, it was a little too short in length.

Lavender came in with Parvati following after her.

"We're here, Evangeline!" They squealed.

Evangeline opened one of her eyes and shushed the two girls.

"I'm in the Inner Eye. Come and give me your palm." She said.

Lavender eagerly handed Evangeline her hand.

"Hmm…" She sighed rubbing her palm.

"It's not good. Unless you study extremely hard… you'll fail miserably." She finished giving her a fake pity look.

Lavender looked around frantic.

"If she studies extremely hard, will she be able to pass?" Parvati asked.

Evangeline looked at Lavander's palm again.

"The fates say it has a very high chance." She said in a voice almost like Professor Trelawney's.

"Okay, come on Parvati! I have to study if I want that new dress. Come on!" Lavender said frantically.

The two girls left in a hurry.

"Well, that'll keep them out of my hair for a while. What a pair of gullible sods." Evangeline said before getting up.

She was about to leave, when Professor Trelawney walked in.

The professor looked confused by the fact that she was wearing her clothes.

"Hello, Professor! Teddy was telling me how comfortable your clothes were, so, being me, I had to see for myself. I'm afraid they don't fit me as good as they fit you." Evangeline said.

The professor looked so shocked, that she couldn't say anything.

"Oh, and the fates are particularly nice today!" She yelled before leaving, still in Trelawney's clothes.

* * *

"You did what?!" Ginny asked while giggling.

They were about to have the sleepover in the common room. Evangeline was telling the girl about her trick on Lavender, knowing she, too, wasn't that fond of her.

"Well, I made her think she was going to fail unless she did some major studying. On the bright side, I may have boosted her grades. Anyway, she's not going to wake me up at seven in the morning again. Honestly, what kind of cruel, heartless person does that?" Evangeline finished as they were walking to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Umm… Evangeline, I did when you were at the Burrow last year." Ginny said.

"Right… I never got back at you for that. You're lucky I actually like you.

They heard someone clear their throat. The two Gryffindor girls looked up to see who was the cause of it. Cho Chang was waiting next to the portrait hole, waiting for them.

"Finally!" She said exasperated. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"Well, you know me… I always have to be fashionably late. Even if I am the host of it." Evangeline said like it was obvious.

"Ginny this is Cho Chang. She's in Ravenclaw." Evangeline introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Ginny offered her hand, as she said it.

They shook it before they fell into a short silence.

"Well… Let's get this party started!" Evangeline exclaimed.

The three girls walked in to see a busy common room. It was packed, probably everyone was studying for the finals that were close after the holidays.

"Hello!" Ginny shouted, trying to get everyone's attention.

It was in vain as no one looked up.

"Guys!" Teddy yelled as well, only to get the same reaction.

"OI! GITS!" Evangeline screamed.

That certainly got their attention; most of them fell out of their seats.

"Now that I have your undivided attention," she said looking around. Everyone was staring at her. "If I did not personally invite you to the sleepover I'm having tonight, clear out."

People were reluctant to leave. Only the first years who were terrified of Evangeline got up and ran to their common room.

"OI!" She screamed again making people cover their ears. "Move before I prank, hex, and/or smack you!" She finished.

That made them move out quickly; no one wanted to be subjected to her pranks. The girls: Teddy, Hermione, Ginny, Cho, and Evangeline started to set up. They had sleeping bags set out, nice snacks Evangeline stole from Fred and George, who in turn, stole from the kitchens.

"So we should do truth or dare first, since it's a tradition." Teddy suggested.

"Okay, you first then… Truth or dare?" Evangeline asked.

"Truth."

"Coward."

"I'm in Gryffindor, aren't I?"

"Fine… If you could date anyone in Gryffindor, who would it be?" Evangeline asked looking evil.

"Dare." Teddy quickly said before blushing, and changing her hair color to pink.

"You can't do that!" Ginny protested.

"Yeah, answer the question." Cho added.

"Unlike you guys, Hermione and I aren't boy crazy." She said rolling her eyes. "I-I guess I'd date George."

"Well, that was unexpected. Make it happen. Then we could be dating twins!" Evangeline joked.

Teddy blushed and her hair turned pink again. Evangeline was going to pay for making her blush, she thought. She brainstormed possible pranks she could pull on the prankster.

"That's it, it is my turn… Evangeline, truth or dare?" Teddy said, a sly smirk on her face as she thought of one brilliant prank.

Evangeline didn't like the smirk on her face. She would say truth, but Evangeline Black never passed on a dare.

"Dare."

Teddy's smirk broadened.

"I dare you to proclaim your love for Professor Snape."

Evangeline's face turned to one of horror.

"DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE?!" She screamed in terror.

"Well, it would be a great holiday if it happened." Teddy joked.

"Okay, I'll do proclaim my love in class after the holidays." She said.

"How do we know you won't back out?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I'm Evangeline Black. Evangeline Black never backs out on a dare." She stated proudly.

"Okay… Hermione, truth or dare?" Ginny asked.

"Dare." She said, surprising everyone.

"Okay… I dare you to go into the boys' dorm, and steal someone's jacket."

"Okay… why the weird dare?" Cho asked.

"Well, I want to see if Hermione can do it without being seen." Ginny shrugged.

Hermione bit her lip before nodding and going towards the boy's dorm. The girls wanted to follow, but knew Hermione's chances of not being caught would be slim if they did. Hermione came out of their dorm blushing holding someone's jacket.

"It was Ron's. It was on the floor… Along with something else." Hermione blushed a deep red.

"Okay, I'm bored of this… we should prank someone." Evangeline suggested.

"Who exactly?" Cho asked.

"Well, Parkinson annoyed me this morning." Evangeline stated.

"Maybe later." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Come on Hermione, live more loosely. It's okay to follow the rules… but sometimes, you need to break all caution." Evangeline tried to convince her.

"Okay, but not today." Hermione gave in.

"How about girl talk?" Ginny suggested.

"Not much to talk about honestly." Cho said.

"Hey… I saw Cedric Diggory looking at you the other day." At that Cho looked down. "He looked like a lost puppy." Teddy finished.

"Cedric is really cute… but he is a sixth year." Cho sighed.

"So he is only two years ahead of you… Fred is two years ahead of me as well and we are doing fine." Evangeline said trying to encourage her.

"Yeah, but I think he'd rather someone more mature than me… after all I'm only fourteen… he's sixteen." She said ending with a frown.

"You aren't giving yourself enough credit." Ginny said, while eating a chocolate frog.

"Well, enough about my problems." Cho said before looking at Evangeline.

"How about we put up some silencing charms, then have ourselves a dance party." Hermione suggested.

The five girls stood up and did the silencing charm around the whole common room… making sure they got all of it covered.

The girls started to dance like crazy, not caring if someone saw them. They needed it, after all the drama they had this year. They laughed until they cried, pigged out on food, and then finally at 3 in the morning they fell asleep in their sleeping bags.

* * *

The Easter holidays started the next day. They weren't exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework. Neville Longbottom seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.

"Call this a holiday!" Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. "The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?"

But nobody had as much to do as Hermione. Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually last to leave the common room at night, first to arrive at the library the next morning; she had shadows like Lupin's under her eyes, and seemed constantly close to tears.

Ron had taken over responsibility for Buckbeak's appeal. When he wasn't doing his own work, he was poring over enormously thick volumes with names like "The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology" and "Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality." He was so absorbed, he even forgot to be horrible to Crookshanks.

Evangeline had confessed her love to Professor Snape at the dinner on the first day of the holiday. Snape didn't take it very well. She had to serve detention the full break. She had to manage the detentions with her Quiddich Schedule. She also was doing her homework. Sirius Black rumors seemed to calm down, it wasn't the talk of the school anymore.

Teddy spent most of her day, either studying, doing homework, or talking to her father. She realized she hadn't held a long conversation with her dad since being in school. She also tried helping Ron with the case, but he said it was cool, and he wanted to do it on his own.

Harry had the same problem as Evangeline, he had to fit in his homework around Quidditch practice every day, not to mention endless discussions of tactics with Wood. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant (as Wood constantly reminded his team) that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Harry, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points.

'So you must catch it only if we're more than fifty points up,' Wood told Harry constantly. 'Only if we're more than fifty points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You've got that, Haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're -'

'I KNOW, OLIVER!' Harry yelled.

Oliver wasn't lenient with Evangeline either. Every time he saw her, he said some sort of Quiddich tip.

"Now you three have to act like a team. Don't hog the Quaffle if you are being chased. Don't get hit by a bludger. Lastly, don't let Slytherin distract you."

"I know, Oliver! You tell me this twice a day!" Evangeline snapped.

The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the upcoming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been seeker. But Harry doubted whether any of them, even Wood, wanted to win as much as he did. The enmity between Harry and Malfoy was at its highest point ever.

Malfoy was still smarting about the mud-throwing incident in Hogsmeade and was even more furious that Harry had somehow wormed his way out of punishment. Harry hadn't forgotten Malfoy's attempt to sabotage him in the match against Ravenclaw, but it was the matter of Buckbeak that made him most determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school.

Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere.

By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.

Harry was having a particularly bad time of it. He couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip him up; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever he went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw him surrounded by people.

Wood had given instructions that Harry should be accompanied everywhere he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action. Evangeline was appointed his body guard, knowing that most of the Slytherins were afraid of her. Teddy, Evangeline, Hermione, and Ron barely left his side, so it's not like they could try anything without being caught.

The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Harry to get to classes on time because he was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd. Harry was more concerned for his Firebolt's safety than his own.

When he wasn't flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there. All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books.

'I can't work, I can't concentrate,' she said nervously.

There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever.

Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself. Harry was sitting with Ron, Teddy and Hermione, removed from the centre of things, trying not to think about the next day, because every time he did, he had the horrible sensation that something very large was fighting to get out of his stomach.

Evangeline was with the twins laughing at their jokes. She too, was nervous but didn't want to make herself sick, and the twins were really good distractions.

"You're going to be fine," Hermione told Harry, though she looked positively terrified.

"You've got a Firebolt!" said Ron.

"The Gryffindor team has better players than the Slytherin team by far. They just cheat and sabotage." Teddy added.

"Yeah..." said Harry, his stomach writhing. Cheating and sabotaging was the last thing Harry wanted on his mind right now. It came as a relief when Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

Evangeline kissed Fred before getting up and going to the dorm. Harry slowly got up, still felling sick to his stomach.

Harry slept badly.

First, he dreamed that he had overslept, and that Wood was yelling, "Where were you? We had to use Neville instead!"

Then, he dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons. He was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Malfoy's steed's mouth, when he realised he had forgotten his Firebolt. He fell through the air and woke with a start.

It was a few seconds before Harry remembered that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin team definitely wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons.

He was feeling very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his four-poster and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window. The grounds were still and quiet. No breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest; the Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking.

It looked as though the conditions for the match would be perfect. Harry set down his goblet and was about to turn back to his bed when something caught his eye. An animal of some kind was prowling across the silvery lawn. Harry dashed to his bedside table, snatched up his glasses, and put them on, then hurried back to the window. It couldn't be the Grim - not now - not right before the match -

He peered out at the grounds again and, after a minute's frantic searching, spotted it. It was skirting the edge of the forest now... It wasn't the Grim at all ... it was a cat... Harry clutched the window ledge in relief as he recognized the bottlebrush tail. It was only Crookshanks...Or was it only Crookshanks? Harry squinted, pressing his nose flat against the glass. Crookshanks seemed to have come to a halt. Harry was sure he could see something else moving in the shadow of the trees too. And just then, it emerged - a gigantic, shaggy black dog, moving stealthily across the lawn, Crookshanks trotting at its side.

Harry stared. What did this mean? If Crookshanks could see the dog as well, how could it be an omen of Harry's death?

"Ron!" Harry hissed. "Ron! Wake up!"

"Huh?"

"I need you to tell me if you can see something!"

"S'all dark, Harry," Ron muttered thickly. "What're you on about?"

"Down here–"

Harry looked quickly back out of the window. Crookshanks and the dog had vanished. Harry climbed onto the windowsill to look right down into the shadows of the castle, but they weren't there. Where had they gone? A loud snore told him Ron had fallen asleep again.

Harry, Evangeline, and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next day to enormous applause. Harry couldn't help grinning broadly as he saw that both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were applauding them too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed.

Harry noticed that Malfoy looked even paler than usual. Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself.

Then, he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.

"Good luck, Harry!" called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing.

"Wittle Harry has a wittle cwush." Evangeline mocked once Cho Chang was put of earshot.

"Shut up," Harry hissed at her. Evangeline's eyes widened.

"Well, someone's grouchy today," She said. "It's alright, we're all nervous. You and Wood are just the most obvious."

Harry blushed and then Wood started evaluating the conditions of the field.

"Okay - no wind to speak of - sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it - ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kickoff – "

Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn.

"Locker rooms," said Wood tersely.

None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Harry wondered if they were feeling like he was: as though he'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast.

In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, "Okay, it's time, let's go –" They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three-quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP"

Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Black, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years –"

Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of "boos" from the Slytherin end.

"And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill –"

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Harry, however, thought Lee had a point.

Malfoy was easily the smallest person on the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch. Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

Evangeline was determined to get the Quaffle first whether she was the first to score or not.

_Gryffindor was going to have the first score of the game_, she thought.

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three... two... one..."

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Harry felt his hair fly back off his forehead; his nerves left him in the thrill of the flight; he glanced around, saw Malfoy on his tail, and sped off in search of the Snitch.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Evangeline Black of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Evangeline! Evangeline passes it to Johnson. Oh no, Warrington of Slytherin intercepts the Quaffle. Warrington drops the Quaffle, nice Bludger work from the Weasleys. Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by – Bell, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Bell ducks under a Bludger before throwing the Quaffle back to Black. Come on Evangeline. GRYFINDOR SCORES! TEN TO ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Katie Bell sent her a smile before returning to get in the middle for the Quaffle.

"OUCH!" Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.

"Sorry!" said Flint as the crowd below booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!"

A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

"That will do!" shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between then. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"

"Come off it, Miss!" howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle Oliver nodded to Evangeline to take the shot.

"Come on, Evangeline!" yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forward to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal posts, his jaw clenched.

"Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!" Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. 'Superb! Very difficult to pass - very difficult indeed - YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!'

Relieved, Harry zoomed away, gazing around for the Snitch, but still making sure he caught every word of Lee's commentary. It was essential that he hold Malfoy off the Snitch until Gryffindor was more than fifty points up -

'Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession - no! Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field - THAT WAS DELIBERATE!'

Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. Katie cart wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker.

"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING–"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way–"

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"

Harry felt a huge jolt of excitement. He had seen the Snitch it was shimmering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goal posts - but he mustn't catch it yet - and if Malfoy saw it - Faking a look of sudden concentration, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and sped off toward the Slytherin end - it worked. Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there...

WHOOSH.

One of the Bludgers came streaking past Harry's right ear, hit by the gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Then again WHOOSH. The second Bludger grazed Harry's elbow. The other Beater, Bole, was closing in. Harry had a fleeting glimpse of Bole and Derrick zooming toward him, clubs raised - He turned the Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch.

"Ha haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt. And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle - Flint alongside her - poke him in the eye, Angelina! - it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke - oh no - Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save -!"

But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession–"

It was turning into the dirtiest game Harry had ever played in.

Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Evangeline with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. Fred elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor. Evangeline took the penalty and she scored making it fifty- ten to Gryffindor. The Snitch had disappeared again. Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it once Gryffindor was fifty points ahead – The Slytherin beaters were after Evangeline since she took the most of the scores. Fred and George were flanking her. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.

Madam Hooch was beside herself.

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"

And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Katie seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal - seventy-ten. The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse - Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy speeding along behind him.

And then he saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him. Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears; he stretched out his hand, but suddenly, the Firebolt was slowing down - Horrified, he looked around. Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed hold of the Firebolt's tail, and was pulling it back.

"You–" Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but couldn't reach - Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he'd wanted to do - the Snitch had disappeared again.

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics." Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B–"

Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoys direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

Angelina took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.

"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal - Montague scores –" Lee groaned. "Seventy- twenty to Gryffindor..."

Harry was now marking Malfoy so closely their knees kept hitting each other. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy anywhere near the Snitch...

"Get out of it, Potter!" Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to turn and found Harry blocking him.

"Evangeline Black gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Evangeline, COME ON!"

Harry looked around. Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward Evangeline, including the Slytherin Keeper - they were all going to block her - Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forward. Like a bullet, he shot toward the Slytherins.

'AAAAAAARRRGH!' They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Evangeline's path was clear.

"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty points to twenty!"

Harry, who had almost pelted headlong into the stands, skidded to a halt in midair, reversed, and zoomed back into the middle of the field. And then he saw something to make his heart stand still. Malfoy was diving, a look of triumph on his face - there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer - Harry urged the Firebolt downward, but Malfoy was miles ahead -

"Go! Go! Go!" Harry urged his broom. He was gaining on Malfoy - Harry flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him - he was at Malfoy's ankles - he was level - Harry threw himself forward, took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and –

"YES!"He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded.

Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings hopelessly against his fingers. Then Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder.

Fred grabbed Evangeline and kissed her happily, picking her up and swinging her around.

"Fred, you are getting me dizzy!" Evangeline giggled.

Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them; then Angelina's and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!"

Evangeline jumped and ran into Harry, giving him the biggest one he's received.

"You were brilliant, boy wonder." Evangeline exclaimed crushing him to death.

Dean and Seamus ran on to the field and hugged Evangeline too. The three high-fived and started to do a strange dance, Evangeline's being the worst.

Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth.

Seamus and Dean hoisted Evangeline over their shoulders. The rest of the team, including Harry, was also hoisted up on other Gryffindor shoulders.

Thrust into the light, he saw Hagrid, plastered with crimson rosettes – "Yeh beat 'em, Harry, yeh beat 'em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!"

There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten.

Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry and Evangeline, were Ron, Teddy, and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Harry was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup. If only there had been a dementor around... As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Professor Trelawney's Prediction

Harry's and Evangeline's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling into the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.

But they couldn't. The exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working; they were about to take their O. (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to sit his N.E. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.

Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam timetable she had drawn up for herself. The first column read:

MONDAY

9 o'clock, Arithmancy

9 o'clock, Transfiguration

LUNCH

1 o'clock, Charms

1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

"Hermione?" Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. "Er - are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" snapped Hermione, picking up the exam timetable and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."

"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit two exams at once?" said Harry.

"No," said Hermione shortly. "Has either of you seen my copy of_Numerology and Grammatica?"_

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment around on her table, looking for the book. Just then, there was a rustle at the window and Hedwig fluttered through it, note clutched tightly in her beak.

"It's from Hagrid," said Harry ripping the note open. "Buckbeak's appeal - it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," said Hermione, still looking everywhere for her Arithmancy book.

"And they're coming up here to do it," said Harry, still reading from the letter. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic - and an executioner."

All of them looked up, startled.

"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they've already decided!" Hermione said in outrage.

"They can't do that… that's unfair!" Teddy protested.

"Well, it's the Ministry… Malfoy's father has them wrapped around his little finger." Evangeline said emotionlessly.

"They can't!" Ron howled. "I've spent ages reading up stuff for him, they can't just ignore it all!"

"Apparently, they can." Harry said.

But Harry had a horrible feeling that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had had its mind made up for it by Mr. Malfoy. Draco, who had been noticeably subdued since Gryffindor's triumph in the Quidditch final, seemed to regain some of his old strut over the next few days. From sneering comments Harry overheard, Malfoy was certain Buckbeak was going to be killed, and seemed thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it about. It was all Harry could do to stop himself imitating Hermione and hitting Malfoy in the face on these occasions. And the worst thing of all was that they had no time or opportunity to go and see Hagrid, because the strict new security measures had not been lifted, and Harry didn't dare retrieve his Invisibility Cloak from below the one-eyed witch.

* * *

"I swear it is all he talks about." Teddy complained at lunch.

Malfoy was at his table talking to anyone that would listen at the Slytherin table. He was relaying about his arm, which might never fully recover. He also was telling about how Buckbeak was a monster, and the Minister delivered the right judging.

"Teddy, I'm not waiting for eventually anymore. I'm going to punch that git in the face." Evangeline fumed.

"No one's stopping you." Ron said a mouth full of bacon.

"Honestly Ron, chew before you swallow." Hermione scolded.

"Yes, Mum." He rolled his eyes, his mouth still full with food.

"Give it up, Hermione, he wasn't born with manners." Teddy shook her head.

"What do you mean, manners?" Evangeline asked with a piece of bacon in her mouth.

Hermione and Teddy looked disgusted at the sight.

"What? You weren't expecting that?" Harry asked like it was obvious.

Malfoy was still at it.

"It's a shame the old oaf wasn't sacked though. Dumbledore wouldn't allow it. Both of them are a disgrace to the wizarding world." He said to the group that was around him.

"Can I?" Evangeline said looking at Hermione, with a puppy dog look.

"Please." Hermione said.

Evangeline looked at Harry.

"Aim to break." He said simply.

Evangeline got up clenching her fists together. She had a mischievous smile on her face. The others watched eagerly. Malfoy stopped talking to eat his food, although his group was still chattering about it. Evangeline stopped in the back of him giving him a glare. She made sure that he was done chewing before she tapped him on his shoulder. Malfoy looked back, and before he could say anything, Evangeline socked him in the eye.

Malfoy fell against the table, knocking over his pumpkin juice. He was holding his face in his hands.

"That was for Buckbeak, Hagrid, and Dumbledore. They aren't a disgrace to the wizarding world, you are." She said before turning around.

She started walking away, but she stopped in midstep. She turned around looking at the group that was crowded around him.

"Anyone else have a problem?" She asked raising her eyebrow. All the Slytherins shook their heads feverly.

"My father will hear about this!" Malfoy shouted to her.

"Yeah, do that. Then he'll know that you got beaten up by a girl in front of the whole Great Hall." She said dryly. She turned around to return to her awaiting friends.

"You are going to end up just like your father, Black." Malfoy yelled, getting the teacher's attention, as well as the whole hall. Evangeline stopped in her tracks and whirled around.

"Say that again." She threatened.

"It's a wonder that they let you back, Black. I suspect that they'll have a cell next to your father's waiting for you in Azkaban."

"They better, because I'm about to kill you, Malfoy." She said before lunging for his neck.

The whole hall started out yelling "Fight!"

She gave him a few punches in, before they were broken up.

Malfoy had a black eye, and a nasty bruise on his cheek. She was broken up by Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall. Lupin had a firm grip on her arm and shoulders, knowing she would try to escape, and keep fighting. McGonagall helped Malfoy up.

"Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Black, I am disappointed in your behavior. Twenty points from both of your houses. Mr. Malfoy, get to the hospital wing to get something on your eye." McGonagall said in a strong voice.

"I'll escort him out." Snape said grabbing his arm and bringing him out of the great hall.

Lupin grabbed Evangeline's arm.

"I'm going to calm Evangeline down, and set up a detention." Lupin said before setting off to his office. Evangeline trudged after him without looking at anybody.

Evangeline sat down next to Lupin, who was making tea.

"Evangeline, you can't keep blowing up on people." He scolded.

"I was going to sit back down, honest, but he crossed the line." Evangeline defended.

"What did he do to make you get up in the first place anyway?" He said pouring tea in her cup.

"He was talking bad about Hagrid, Dumbledore, and Buckbeak." She started. "He was asking for it, if you ask me."

"You need to control your temper. Your mother had the same problem." He said while sipping tea.

"She did? I've been compared to my-" she broke off, and corrected herself. "Sirius, but never my mum."

"You're a lot like her. You have her temper, and protectiveness." He smiled. "You have also seemed to inherited her talent in potions."

Evangeline smiled and looked down at her tea.

"And you have her face as well." He added.

"How do you know all this?" Evangeline asked curiously.

"I was friends with your mom and Harry's parents." He said plainly.

"That's a coincidence, seeing as Teddy, Harry, and I are best friends, along with Ron and Hermione." Evangeline stated.

"You're related to Harry, you know." He said.

"How?" She said in surprise.

"You're Harry's second cousin." He started. "James and Natalie were first cousins. More like brother and sister, really."

"It must have been hard on you." She said in sympathy.

Lupin looked down into his tea. Evangeline swore she saw a tear. "I mean I almost broke down when I saw my boggart." She continued quietly.

"A day doesn't go by that I don't miss them," Lupin's voice cracked. This was the first time Evangeline had ever seen Lupin show so much emotion.

She got up and went and hugged her godfather.

"But you suffered a pain much worse. You grew up without someone to look up to."

"That's not true. I look up to you, Lupin. Along with Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid." She reassured him.

"Okay, I have had enough mushiness for one day." Lupin grinned and sipped his tea.

"I swear, you must be bipolar." Evangeline rolled her eyes and sat back down in her chair.

"So, about your detention…"

Evangeline groaned.

* * *

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The third-years emerged from Transfiguration at lunch-time on Monday limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Hermione irritated the rest by fussing about how her tortoise had looked more like a turtle, which was the least of everyone else's worries.

"Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare ..."

"Were the tortoises supposed to breathe steam?"

"It still had a willow-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?"

Then, after a hasty lunch, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the Charm himself. Evangeline, with Pansy Parkinson and she 'accidently' exceeded at the charm to make Pansy smile until her face cramped up.

After dinner, the students hurried back to their common rooms, not to relax, but to start revising for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Astronomy. Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the following morning with a very preoccupied air indeed; his heart didn't seem to be in it at all.

He had provided a large tub of Flobberworms for the class, and told them that, to pass the test, their Flobberworm had to still be alive at the end of one hour. As Flobberworms flourished best if left to their own devices, it was the easiest exam any of them had ever sat, and also gave Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron, and Hermione plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretence of checking that Harry's Flobberworm was still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. But still ... we'll know day after tomorrow - one way or the other."

They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Harry might, he couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken, and Snape, standing watching with an air of vindictive pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away. Evangeline got her potion perfect as usual, while Snape grumbled before moving on to the next person. Teddy and Hermione's potion's were a little thin, but were still really good. Ron seemed to be having a few problems, and Snape's harassment wasn't exactly helping.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Harry scribbled everything Florean Fortescue had ever told him about medieval witch hunts, while wishing he could have had one of Fortescue's choco-nut sundaes with him in the stifling classroom.

Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with the backs of their necks sunburnt, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.

Their second from last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh, ignoring the misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart.

"Excellent, Harry," Lupin muttered, as Harry climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."

Flushed with success, Harry hung around to watch Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione.

Ron did very well until he reached the Hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire.

Teddy did perfectly until the boggart, which was the same, but this time the man/werewolf was biting her. Teddy's eyes widened, and she screamed, but then successfully cast the spell.

The Grindylow had given Evangeline a bit of a hold-up, but after that, she performed everything admirably.

Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the Boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing to the trunk.

"Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"

It took a while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip of herself, she, Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, and Ron went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's Boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on the top of the steps.

Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry.

"Hello there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," said Harry. Hermione, Teddy, Evangeline, and Ron, not being on speaking terms with the Minister for Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background.

"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "Pity ... pity ..." He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad Hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

That ticked Evangeline off, seeing as they already sentenced Buckbeak to death. Her usual mischievous grin was plastered on her face.

"Hello Minister, remember me?" She said in a fake pleasant tone.

"Oh, hello," He said, and returned to his conversation, and didn't even give her a second glance.

"Wait, Buckbeak? Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forwards.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The Hippogriff might get off!"

Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came through the castle door behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin black moustache. Harry gathered they were representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, because the very old wizard squinted towards Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this ... two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"

The black-moustached man was fingering something in his belt; Harry looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and jerked her head towards the Entrance Hall.

"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily, as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry. You can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she, too, looked very upset. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't properly execute Buckbeak ..."

"Hermione, you know that isn't true." Teddy said dejectedly. "I hate to say it, but Lucius Malfoy is too powerful at the Ministry. I don't want to believe it either.

All around them, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of exams that afternoon, but Harry, Evangeline, Teddy, Ron and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid, didn't join in. Harry, Teddy, Evangeline and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's, Muggle studies.

They walked up the marble staircase together. Hermione left them on the first floor and Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, and Ron proceeded all the way up to the seventh, where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute revision.

"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed them, as they went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of_Unfogging the Future_open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal-gazing. "Have either of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked them unhappily.

"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He kept checking his watch; Harry knew that he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started.

"She thought I did… so I'm just going to wing it." Evangeline shrugged.

The queue of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it OK?" But they all refused to say.

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville, as he clambered back down the ladder towards Harry and Ron, who had now reached the landing.

"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione's right about her" (he jabbed his thumb towards the trapdoor overhead), "she's a right old fraud."

"Yeah," said Harry, looking at his own watch. It was now two o'clock. "Wish she'd hurry up ..."

Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.

"She says I've got the makings of a true Seer," she informed them. "I saw loads of stuff ... well, good luck!"

She hurried off down the spiral staircase towards Lavender.

"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads. Ron grimaced at Harry, and climbed the silver ladder out of sight.

Harry, Evangeline, and Teddy settled on the floor with their back against the wall. Harry was listening to a fly buzzing in the sunny window, his mind across the grounds with Hagrid.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Ron's large feet reappeared on the ladder.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked him, standing up.

"Rubbish," said Ron. "Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced, though ..."

"Teddy Lupin," Professor Trelawney's voice said. "Wish me luck," Teddy said nervously and disappeared up the ladder.

She was in their a little longer that Ron was. She came back out upset.

"Hermione's right. That class is rubbish… I'm not retaking it next year. She told me I didn't have an ounce of seer blood in me." She fumed.

"You realize, you just had to make up something?" Evangeline asked. "She'll believe anything as long as it is dark and depressing."

"Evangeline Black." Professor Trelawney called.

"I'm going to just mention the Grim. That should give me a good grade." Evangeline said before climbing up the ladder. She was almost their before she tripped and fell of the ladder. She landed straight on her bum.

"I predicted that, you know Professor." She said proudly.

She continued on like nothing happened.

Harry was getting restless waiting. He was, of course, the last one to be tested. He'd take Evangeline's approach and make up something. However, he didn't want to mention the Grim. She'd never leave him alone after that.

Evangeline came back down. She jumped down from the last step and her face looked like she was happy.

"She bought it. All I did is predict that there was a Grim after me. I also added that I was about to be betrayed by someone close to me. That class is an easy A." She finished before she patted him on his back.

"Meet you in the common room," Harry muttered, as Professor Trelawney's voice called, "Harry Potter!"

The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent that made Harry cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.

"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb ... take your time, now ... then tell me what you see within it ..."

Harry bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as he could, willing it to show him something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened.

"Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. "What do you see?"

The heat was overpowering and his nostrils were stinging with the perfumed smoke wafting from the fire beside them. He thought of what Evangeline had just said, and decided to pretend.

"Er -," said Harry, "a dark shape ... um ..."

"What does it resemble?" whispered Professor Trelawney. "Think, now ..."

Harry cast his mind around and it landed on Buckbeak.

"A hippogriff," he said firmly.

"Indeed!" whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. "My boy, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Look closer ... does the Hippogriff appear to ... have its head?"

"Yes," said Harry firmly.

"Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged him.

"Are you quite sure, dear? You don't see it writhing on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure raising an axe behind it?"

"No!" said Harry, starting to feel slightly sick.

"No blood? No weeping Hagrid?"

"No!" said Harry again, wanting more than ever to leave the room and the heat. "It looks fine, it's - flying away ..."

Professor Trelawney sighed.

"Well, dear, I think we'll leave it there ... a little disappointing ... but I'm sure you did your best."

Relieved, Harry turned around, ready to leave the room. Before he could, however, a hand on his shoulder suddenly stopped him. An eerie voice unexpectedly spoke.

"It will happen tonight."

Harry wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.

"S-sorry?" said Harry.

But Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes started to roll. Harry stood there in a panic. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure. He hesitated, thinking of running to the hospital wing - and then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:

"The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight ... before midnight ... the servant ... will set out ... to rejoin ... his master ..."

Professor Trelawney's head fell forwards onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Then, quite suddenly, her head snapped up again.

"I'm sorry, dear boy." She said, as if nothing happened. "Did you say something?"

Harry just stared at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Harry didn't say anything and climbed the ladder down in a hurry, wondering ... had he just heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction? Or had this been her idea of an impressive end to the test?

Five minutes later he was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in his head. People were striding past him in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time he had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in a corner, however, sat Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione.

"Professor Trelawney," Harry panted, "just told me -"

But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."

Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hands seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.

_Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it._

_Hagrid._

"We've got to go," said Harry at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"I wish I could punch his father." Evangeline grumbled.

"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out of the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed ... 'specially you, Harry ..."

Harry sank his head into his hands, thinking.

"If only we had the Invisibility Cloak ..."

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

"... if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished.

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees_you_...how do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You - you tap it and say, '_Dissendium_'," said Harry. "But -"

Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed the Fat Lady's portrait open and vanished from sight.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her.

She had. Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery Cloak folded carefully under her robes.

"Hermione, I don't know what's got into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out of Professor Trelawney -"

Hermione looked rather flattered. They went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterwards. Harry had the Cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the Entrance Hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the Hall, and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door. Teddy preformed the expansion charm. Even then it looked like it was going to be a tight squeeze.

"OK, she whispered, "no one there - Cloak on -"

Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the Hall on tiptoe beneath the Cloak, and then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.

They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.

"It's us," Harry hissed. "we're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and they stepped inside. Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the Cloak.

Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon their necks. He looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch then tears.

"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.

"Only if you are up to make it." Teddy said firmly.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.

"I - I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' - an' smell fresh air - before -"

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his gasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Harry glanced at Ron, who looked back hopelessly.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore -"

"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared ... yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like ... threatened 'em, I expect ... an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's ... but it'll be quick an' clean ... an' I'll be beside him ..."

Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin, as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it - while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter - ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore ..."

Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back the tears. She was failing a little and Teddy got up and helped her make the tea.

"We'll stay with you, too, Hagrid," Evangeline began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh're to go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway ... if fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea, with Teddy's help.

Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.

"Ron! I - I don't believe it - it's_Scabbers!_"

Ron gaped at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside-down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself.

"It's OK, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the colour of parchment.

"They're comin' ..."

Harry, Teddy, Evangeline, Ron, and Hermione whipped around. A group of men was walking down the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun.

Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, Macnair.

"Yeh gotts go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here ... go on, now ..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the Cloak.

"I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid.

They followed him to the door into his back garden. Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head side to side, and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's OK, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's OK ..." He turned to Harry, Ron, Teddy, Evangeline, and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But they didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't -"

"We'll tell them what really happened -"

"They can't kill him -"

"Maybe we can -"

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

They had no choice. As Hermione threw the Cloak over them, they heard voices at the front door of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.

"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen ..."

And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, they set off silently around Hagrid's house. As they reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.

They started up the sloping lawn towards the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow. They stopped when they were a safe distance. They took off the cloak, seeing that no one would be able to see them at this distance.

. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Hermione swayed on the spot.

"They did it!" she whispered to Harry. "I d-don't believe it - they did it!"

"The Ministry is a cruel place." Evangeline said dully.

Hermione started crying, she turned and put her head on Ron's shoulder. Evangeline grabbed Harry's hand. Teddy shook her head, not wanting to believe that it happened.


End file.
